C98

A mother was sobbing in sorrow.

The girl approached her and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

The mother replied through her tears, "My children have betrayed me. They threw me into this desolate and hellish pit and won't let me live or die. They've condemned me to an eternal existence in this lonely and frozen hell."

"Are you angry at your children?"

"I despise them with every fiber of my being," the mother responded bitterly. "But at the same time, I love them more than anything in this world."

The girl nodded sympathetically, "Such a complex emotion... But I understand how you feel."

The mother asked, "How can you understand?"

"My own parents betrayed me. They cast me into a worm-infested abyss and left me to die. I came close to losing my life."

"How could any parents be so cruel? Do you hold any anger towards them?"

The girl answered, "Yes, I hate them. I hate them deeply. But at the same time, I love them. And eventually, my hatred dissipates."

"Why?" The mother pressed.

"I don't know, I can't explain it, and I don't fully understand my own emotions. But I have stopped fearing abandonment and betrayal."

"Why?" the mother asked, with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"My brother and I made a pinky promise," the girl replied, "No matter what happens, he would always protect me. I'm not scared or worried anymore, because my brother is my hero."

The mother wrapped the girl in a warm embrace, "You're such a pitiable yet strong child. It could be fate that brought you to me today. If I promise to never betray or abandon you, will you become my child?"

The girl gazed up at the mother with determination in her eyes, "And if I promise to never betray or abandon you as well, will you become my mother?"

"Of course," the mother replied without hesitation.

Thus, the child who was betrayed by her mother, and the mother who was betrayed by her child, formed a bond through Imaginary Numbers. And at some unknown point in time and place, a Magus who held sway over Imaginary Numbers appeared.

...

At Ryuudou Temple, Shirou had stayed up all night, gazing at Arcueid. "Are you feeling any better now, Arcueid? Can we talk?"

But Arcueid's eyes gleamed with a thirst for blood. "Your deceit is pointless now, Roa!"

He shook his head. "You're letting anger cloud your judgment."

As she raised her hand to unleash her claws upon him, two menacing hands appeared behind Shirou and deflected the incoming attack.

She threw off the blanket and charged at Shirou, forcing him to retreat toward the Enlightened One. "Come out and face me one-on-one!" she challenged, her voice ringing with fury.

"I know I can't defeat you, so why should I face you alone?" Shirou replied, smiling calmly. He spoke with confidence, free of any nervousness or self-deprecation.

Arcueid ground her teeth for a moment before eventually calming down and settling back onto the ground. "You're really despicable for hiding behind others!"

With a smile, he commented, "My Shisho says the same thing. So don't underestimate me. I can use all sorts of sneaky tricks, whether it's throwing sand, backstabbing, or kidney shots."

Arcueid was left speechless by his blatant admission and affirmation of his own dirty tricks.

She simply stared at him, unable to use more than 30% of her full strength in a fight and unable to beat the Enlightened One standing behind Shirou.

Unlike Shirou, who confidently affirmed his own weaknesses while subtly retaliating, Arcueid was never good at speaking and constantly used same words over and over.

It was a battle that she couldn't win by fighting or talking. She could only emit a murderous aura while staring at Shirou.

"I'm serious. You got the wrong person. I'm not some Roa's reincarnation," Shirou insisted.

He found the situation very strange. In a world where the Holy Grail War existed, it was odd to have Arcueid here, as if he were participating in a collaboration event between "FGO" and "Tsukihime."

And then there's Arcueid's pursuit, making Shirou feel as though he has conquered a high-level dungeon and achieved the status of a top player, only to be reminded that he has only just stepped out of the beginner village.

She didn't utter a word. She just stared at him, emitting a murderous aura.

It was a familiar feeling, reminiscent of his confrontation with Artoria Alter.

But the hatred radiating from Arcueid was even more resolute, a mix of Gilgamesh and Artoria Alter's wrath. It was like being consumed by rage, but with more intensity.

"Your eyes have been clouded by the flame of hatred, rendering you unable to see the truth and the path to freedom."

Arcueid remained silent, her expression unchanging.

"I'm not sure if she can find the path to freedom, but I do know one thing. You've definitely blocked my path to the school sports festival," Issei said from behind Shirou.

"Oh, sorry about that," Shirou stepped aside to make room for Issei.

"Looks like you won't be able to participate in the sports festival now," Issei said, turning to Shirou. "Your class will probably have to forfeit the pole vaulting event."

"Not necessarily," he replied optimistically. "The kids in my class are quite competitive, I'm sure someone will step up to take my place. I just hope they don't get hurt."

"You need to worry about yourself first," Issei advised. "There are some instant noodles in the room, feel free to grab some if you're hungry."

"Thanks, Issei."

"No problem, you're one of my friends," Issei said before making his way to the door.

Arcueid stepped aside, not wishing to involve innocent bystanders in her conflict. In fact, she had seen Shirou earlier that day, but there were too many people around, including Illyasviel, so she held back.

As Issei left, she sat back down on the roadside, her gaze fixed on Shirou with a fierce expression.

But he simply smiled in response, shaking the Go box in his hand. "Do you want to play a game of Go, Arcueid?"

...

Merem Solomon. Despite his surname "Solomon," Merem had no connection to the legendary mage king of three thousand years ago. As the 20th Dead Apostle and the 5th member of the Burial Agency, he stood apart from the rest of his kind.

The fact that Merem was accepted into the Burial Agency, an arm of the Church, despite his status as a Dead Apostle, was a testament to his strength. Membership in the Agency was based on power, not faith.

Merem, however, was unique among the 27 Dead Apostles. Unlike the others, he remained loyal to the late Crimson Moon, with Arcueid, his successor, as the focus of his allegiance.

So, when news reached him that Arcueid had awakened and was intent on hunting down the current incarnation of Roa, Merem used the Church's influence to bring her to Fuyuki City. Though he had planned to aid her in the mission, the Burial Agency assigned him to the church, where he watched dispassionately as the Executors and local Exorcist bickered with each other.

Merem yawned, looking uninterestedly at the Mouse King, who had transformed into an old priest. The daemon was in the midst of discussing a plan with the executor and a local exorcist, who had come after hearing the noise.

Merem reminisced about his arrival in Japan for a mission, recalling the many exorcist families that once existed in Japan. However, nowadays, only a few of them remained, struggling to survive.

Their demise was not caused by non-human races but by the progress of the human society that they had sworn to protect. This was an ironic reality.

The old priest interrupted Merem's thoughts. "Anyway, this is roughly the plan."

'Really boring,' Merem thought.

Merem was renowned for his Demonition. His most famous daemon or familiar was the Four Great Daemon Beasts that resided on his limbs. Each was a being that could rival Divine Beasts.

The Daemon of the Left Arm was the Mouse King, who possessed super-high intelligence and could transform into human form to deceive others.

The Daemon of the Right Arm, Lady Windup, was a humanoid mechanical doll that measured almost ten meters when in its complete form. It was also known as a pseudo-angel, possessing powerful abilities to master and manifest weapons.

The Daemon of the Right Leg, the King of the Land, was a colossal monster that measured almost 200 meters in length. Although it had no special abilities, its enormous size was its most terrifying weapon.

On the other hand, the Daemon on the Left Leg, the King of the Sky, was considered to be Merem's most beautiful creation. It had membranes made up of countless animal species and was no weaker than the King of the Land.

Each of Merem's great daemons was comparable to Divine Beasts, and with his command over these four daemons, he was a formidable presence, even among the twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.

The head of the Ryougi family asked, "One thing. Are you sure that thing will manifest in Fuyuki City during this cycle?"

"Absolutely. That's why we're here," the white mouse confirmed.

The Ryougi head commented, "It's strange that only one member of the Burial Agency is here, especially if that thing is going to appear. Additionally, I've heard that the White Princess is currently in Fuyuki City."

"That is..." The White Mouse began to speak, but Merem cut in, saying, "Princess Arcueid is here for Roa and won't be involved in this matter. I appreciate your concern, but the Church has already made the necessary arrangements. Now, we just need to wait for that thing to appear."

"Can you explain the plan, 27th Dead Apostles? Sorry, but I find it hard to trust your great daemons," the Ryougi head asked.

"Based on the Church's calculations, that thing will manifest near Shinto Town during this cycle. Once it appears, my land whale will emerge from the sea to drag it down and ravage it in the ocean. However, its seeds will need to be dealt with by you," Merem explained.

"I see. Using a land whale against that thing is certainly intriguing, but it could also be disastrous for this city, which has only just recovered from the Fourth Holy Grail War. And how will it be concealed when the time comes? Your land whale is two hundred meters long, and that thing is enormous. The spectacle will be no less impressive than the appearance of the two Giants at the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War," the head of the Ryougi family remarked, rubbing his chin in thought.

Merem stated, "The Church has instructed us to make use of the Savior of Light once again."

"The arrival of the Savior of Light has provided us with a convenient excuse to conceal the Mystery," commented the head of the Ryougi family. "If it were just the seeds, we would do our best to take care of it. After all, we are the guardians of this land."

With the negotiations now concluded, the elderly priest transformed back into a white mouse and began nibbling on pizza. Merem leaned casually against the table, wearing a bored expression. "Speaking of which, how will the princess go about killing Roa's latest reincarnation this time? Will it be a direct capture and execution like the 10th reincarnation or a gruesome dismemberment like the 12th?"

"It's probably not that simple," replied the white mouse.

"What do you mean?" Merem asked, looking at the white mouse.

"I have encountered this particular reincarnation, and it's anything but simple. In fact, it feels quite familiar," the white mouse clarified.

"Familiar?" Merem's eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Yes," the white mouse nodded. "It feels very much like the knight we met in Britain a millennium ago."

"That knight...?" Merem's expression turned pensive as he recollected the events of a thousand years ago in Britain.

...

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