186 Servants in the Castle
In that castle area, black monsters were wriggling on the black ground. They were like the clones of the black mud monster, less than two meters in size, with half their bodies exposed above ground and the other half hidden below, or peering at the people around them from the walls.
The people reveling in their dreams seemed to be oblivious, completely unaware of the danger approaching and watching them.
A wealthy man with heavily gelled hair, driving a Ferrari, was embracing beauties of various styles and origins. The only thing they had in common was that they were all busty, curvaceous, sexy, and tall.
His two-seater sports car was somehow stuffed with seven beauties, making it an "eight-nation alliance" including himself.
They wore hot, mini-skirts. Some were shaking champagne up and down, then popping the corks, sending golden bubbles shooting into the sky, soaking the clothes of the beauties, making them cling to their bodies and provoking continuous screams.
The man was recklessly speeding, with a black-haired woman in a skirt on her head, sitting on the seat-back behind him, clamping his head between her two thighs.
As they reached the corner ahead, the black mud monster clone, which had been waiting, opened its giant, gatehouse-sized mouth, its entire body transforming into a black doorway, and swallowed the man, car, and all in one gulp.
Then, the Ferrari and the women on it turned into pink skeletons, passed through the black shadow monster clone, and finally turned into black sand that fell to the ground. Everything was an illusion, except for the man who was swallowed into the black mud, struggling in agony.
The other areas were the same. It was like domestic livestock being grazed in a slaughterhouse, ready to be harvested at any time. After the swallowed man's emotions were all absorbed, he would lose his memory and be reborn in this district, repeating the cycle. It was like a nightmare perpetual motion machine.
"Regardless, this is a dream," Merlin reminded the young man.
"A dream..." Shirou only realized this now, as everything felt too real.
"Yes, Shirou, that is a dream," Merlin repeated again.
"I know," Shirou frowned, looking at the scenes below. But even in a dream, being swallowed by that black mud over and over must be terrible. No wonder so many people had dark circles under their eyes and some were afraid to even sleep.
These black mud clones were truly feeding on the emotions generated by people's dreams. When the emotion reached its peak, the black mud clone would suck the person into its body and absorb them. Even the corpses would dissolve into the black mud on the ground, then revive, repeating the cycle.
It was truly like a nightmare perpetual motion machine.
"It's about time. Let's go and meet up with everyone first. This place cannot be ended without defeating that black mud monster," Merlin said.
"I know. Hurry!" Shirou clenched his fist, his eyes fixed on the four black mud monster clones below that were constantly devouring the dreaming people.
"Yes, yes. Shirou is truly like Artoria—stubborn, serious, and fond of dragging people into reckless endeavors. It's quite demanding," Merlin reluctantly agreed.
Shirou, led by Merlin, landed in one spot. It was a black wall that had been invisible before, but when Merlin lightly tapped it with his staff, the obscuring black mist instantly parted like a curtain, revealing the previously visited castle intact.
The French-English architectural style building, the fountain with thirteen rings, and the brightly blooming flowers in the garden were perhaps the only remaining greenery and color in this world.
The plants outside had already been covered and destroyed by the black mud. Even the green trees had become monstrously twisted black deadwood. Only inside this castle were there still normal flowers and grass.
"What is this?" Shirou asked in surprise.
"This is the practical application of illusion in the dream world. By leveraging the environment here and erecting a wall outside, even the black mud monster couldn't discover everyone's location. Convenient, isn't it? An incubus is quite skilled at this kind of thing," Merlin said with a smile.
"Hmm, Merlin, you are quite reliable when you put your mind to it. I knew that a long time ago. I would rather you be like this all the time," Shirou said.
"That's harsh. Am I still going to be lectured even when I come to help?" Merlin spread his hands helplessly. He said this, but there was no hint of complaint in his tone.
"This time, I really owe you. Thank you, Merlin," Shirou said to the Flower Magus.
"Then let me possess you and go play in the outside world for a few days," Merlin said with a smile.
"Absolutely not!" Shirou rejected him flatly. Considering his own safety, he absolutely could not agree to that.
As they talked, the two walked into the central building.
Inside the hall, Emperor Louis, D'Éon, Astolfo, Elisabeth, and Osakabehime had gathered. They had tried many methods during this time, but the results were not particularly effective.
"Everyone, I'm back," Shirou called out as he entered the hall.
"Shirou!" The silver-haired girl's face immediately lit up upon hearing the young man's voice, but she quickly composed herself, walked up to the young man, and said, "You took your time coming back, but it's good that you're back..."
"Yeah, I'm back."
"Master! Meow missed you so much," Tamamo Cat pounced on him.
"Shirou, were you out having fun without me?" Astolfo followed suit, jumping up and hugging Shirou's neck, asking from behind.
"I've been very busy, too, thinking up recipes and cooking various dishes based on customer preferences," Shirou said.
"Is that so? I want to eat too!" Astolfo said with a smile.
"Alright, alright, let's stop chatting for now. Let's talk about the main business," Da Vinci said via hologram from Chaldea.
"Have you found a way to defeat that sticky black monster?" Elisabeth asked curiously.
"Yes. Thanks to Shirou's efforts, the black mud monster is no longer able to suck people from the outside world into this dream world. So, at the very least, the black mud monster's energy is no longer infinite. If we continue to find ways to weaken its power, defeating it together will no longer be difficult," Da Vinci said.
"But this is a dream world. Even if we use a Noble Phantasm to completely vaporize this monster, it doesn't guarantee the problem will be solved, right?" Elisabeth asked.
Merlin explained, "Yes, in fact, there is only one way: to make the monster revert to its original state and separate the core, Queen Marie, whom the black mud monster first swallowed. I have been observing what is happening here with Clairvoyance, so I know that the black mud monster's true body is actually a black book. It was able to transform into this strange physical body by absorbing Queen Marie into it."
Da Vinci added, "I speculate that this is why the black mud monster's main body keeps lingering around the palace. If we can separate Queen Marie, who is the core, from the black mud monster's body, the monster will surely be greatly affected."
"But how should we do it? That black mud is dangerous even for a Servant to touch."
At this point, Emperor Louis, who had been silent, stepped forward and said, "Leave the matter of Marie to me."
"Your Majesty! That is too dangerous. Please allow us to do it," D'Éon said to the emperor they were loyal to.
Sanson, standing behind, also nodded. He was from a noble family that had served the royal family for generations. Although in his generation, he had little interaction with the nobility because he disagreed with the actions of the Emperor and the nobles, coupled with his status as an executioner, he was shunned by most. But he still maintained the appropriate respect.
"Exactly. An exceptional locksmith like you, Emperor of France, should have us accompany you, even if you go," Mozart said with a sarcastic smile.
Emperor Louis looked at the musician and said, "Silence, Mozart. Although I like your piano concertos, and I forgive your childhood attempt to propose to my wife, which caused you to be obsessed with her with ill intent. Marie is my Queen. I have no reason to hide while letting other men save her!"
"The reason I didn't appear here as a Heroic Spirit is simply that I knew Marie was here and wanted to spend a simple life with her, so I gave up my Spirit Origin."
"Otherwise, as one of the only two executed emperors in Europe and the only one in France, how could I not be well-known, and how could I not be qualified to become a Heroic Spirit?" Emperor Louis gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Am I right, Sanson!" Emperor Louis asked the man. His family had been responsible for executing death sentences in Paris for generations, as well as recording the last words of important deceased individuals.
"As you said, the demeanor you displayed in your final moments and the radiance you showed during your last speech were no less than that of any Emperor in history," Sanson replied truthfully. Before the guillotine, he respected the Emperor, but only as a noble duty. However, the Emperor's conduct in his final moments earned his respect.
The unremarkable, somewhat corpulent man now displayed the majesty of a King. No one could deny his determination.
"I will save Marie, no matter the cost. So, please assist me! All of you!"
Emperor Louis looked at the familiar faces here: the knight he had neglected but who remained loyal; the executioner who ended his life; and the prodigy musician whose name he often heard from his wife.
"Of course! Your Majesty, this is the duty of the Knight of the White Lily," D'Éon agreed loudly.
"Yes, Your Majesty, this is what I wish for as well," Sanson agreed.
"Ah, if Marie is pulled out of the black mud, can I keep the black mud that's sticking to her?" Mozart asked, sounding genuinely excited.
Emperor Louis then looked at the young man and girl on the other side. He was glad there were so many formidable people here: the young man from another world, like a hero saving the world; Astolfo, one of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins, whom one would never miss in a bedtime story; another form of Saint Joan of Arc...
"I understand, Emperor Louis," Shirou stood up to show his support.
"Thank you for your trust, Shirou." Emperor Louis looked at the young man and smiled, "It's a shame. If you had been born in my era and were truly a Marquis, I would definitely have entrusted my princess to you."
"What!?"
"Meow meow!"
Jeanne d'Arc and Tamamo Cat's eyes widened in alert.
"In any case, let's first discuss the specific plan," Shirou averted his gaze and said.
Merlin analyzed, "Before that, we must deal with the clones in the four areas that are constantly absorbing energy for the black mud monster, but we must resolve them before the main black mud monster arrives. So, we'll have to split up."
Emperor Louis stepped forward and said, "Leave the monster to me to hold back. You all split up and deal with the monsters in those four areas during that time."
"We will stay with His Majesty," D'Éon quickly interjected.
"I'm telling you! Emperor old man, you're not up to it at all!" Jeanne d'Arc, unlike D'Éon and Sanson, who had been his subjects, showed no deference to the King of France and spoke directly.
"Don't underestimate me, Jeanne d'Arc who is hostile to France. Do you remember the magnificent Palace of Versailles? That is my domain." Emperor Louis's gaze turned toward his palace, and his entire Spirit Origin began to rapidly ascend, reaching a level only attained by Servants and Phantasmal Beasts.
"Indeed, I underestimated you. Hmph! Let me say this beforehand, I can't be bothered with those idiots who dream of wanting everything, or the horny idiots. I'll stick with Shirou," Jeanne d'Arc said, crossing her arms, refusing.
"I understand. Then Jeanne, you'll work with me. Does anyone want to choose which street they go to?" Shirou nodded, then looked at the others and asked.
Tamamo Cat raised her hands and said with a smile, "The first street, the 'Street of Depraved Dreams,' a place of wine and flesh in every sense! I don't dislike those kinds of dreams. Although I want to stay with Master, I'll leave that place to meow."
"Then I'll go there with the cat too. That place looks more fun," Astolfo said, raising his hand.
"Okay, I'm counting on you, Tamamo Cat," Shirou said, petting Tamamo Cat's head.
"Master's petting technique is getting more skilled," Tamamo Cat said, squinting comfortably.
"Shirou~! Me too, me too! Hurry up, hurry up~!" Astolfo ran forward, waving his hands and offering his head.
"Alright, alright. I'm counting on you, Astolfo," Shirou placed his other hand on the head of the Paladin of Charlemagne.
"Hehehe, Shirou, you can safely leave it all to me," Astolfo agreed with a cheerful laugh.
"Well, leave the Street of Desired Dreams to me alone. For an incubus, those kinds of dreams are quite delicious, actually," Merlin said with a smile.
"Yes, it truly suits a skirt-chasing playboy like you," everyone said, looking at the Flower Magus with subtle expressions.
"So the choices for the second street are decided. For the third street, the Street of Sorrowful Dreams, or the fourth street, the Street of Nightmares, does anyone want to go?" Shirou asked the remaining girls.