Chapter 74: The Nightmare

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Title - The Soulmancer's Ascension

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***

Gilgamesh was furious to find himself in the Ryuudou Temple. He glared at Angra Mainyu, the only person besides the Grail Manifestation. "You ruined my reunion with Saber."

"You were about to die," Angra Mainyu said in a matter-of-fact voice. "They would have killed you."

She wasn't very fond of the arrogance Gilgamesh displayed, but she owed him too much. Even though she was the incarnation of All World's Evil, there were parts of her that manifested from Irisviel and Illyasviel's hearts.

Angra Mainyu's dull expression fueled Gilgamesh's anger. "I would be killed by those groveling mongrels? I am the King of—"

A hail of bullets scratched Gilgamesh's golden breastplate. Oda Nobunaga walked into the cave with a grin, Nagao Kagetora following behind her.

"There were six Servants if your godly eyes didn't notice. You would be a sizzling steak if they came at you together."

Kagetora nodded. "Master was right in teleporting you to safety."

Nobunaga's sarcasm and Nagao's kindness couldn't diffuse Gilgamesh's rage. His Gate of Babylon burst open with a rain of Noble Phantasms. Kagetora's eyes sharpened as her divine armaments manifested right behind her. The Provision of Eight Flowers. She grabbed two katanas and deflected the incoming Noble Phantasms.

"Oh my! You want a fight, then bring it. I will never retreat from a fight!"

Gilgamesh felt the unrestrained fighting spirit and bloodlust in Kagetora's eyes. Even though she had a face identical to Artoria, their demeanor couldn't be any more different. One laughed in the thrill of the battle while the other had a noble, fairy tale-like dream of saving her kingdom.

Despite being 'disrespected' Gilgamesh didn't feel anger. "Fight when your Master commands."

He sent his golden armor to his Gate of Babylon before he tucked his hands in his pocket and walked away from the scene.

"Coward," Nobunaga muttered. "Kenshin, I found a spot for drinking. Wanna come?"

She had found a giant tower when she was keeping an eye on Gilgamesh and the enemy Master, who had six Servants under his banner.

'He is a tricky fellow.'

Kagetora nodded. "I want some sake."

Nobunaga slipped her arm around Kagetora's waist, and the pair left the cave.

"Assassin."

Hassan of Serenity appeared at her master's call and kneeled. "Master, your command?"

"I want you to sneak into his house and bring the girl." Angra Mainyu looked at Assassin with blank eyes. "Are you confident?"

If Assassin could do the task silently, then Angra Mainyu wouldn't need to waste time dealing with the six Servants. Besides, Hassan of Serenity wasn't that useful in a frontal clash. Angra Mainyu could gamble with Hassan of Serenity's life. And she still had the option to summon a Berserker-class Servant.

Hassan of Serenity raised her head. "I shall not fail."

"Try to escape if you fail."

***

As Haruki entered through the door, the entire house shifted in cubic blocks as if the floor was made from Lego blocks. A long spiral of stairs rose from the ground. Haruki's Japanese-style house morphed into a Victorian-era mansion under their very eyes.

Cu Chulainn gaped at the complete turnover. "The… Master, what did you do?"

Artoria silently looked around. The place seemed like Einzbern's mansion she visited a decade ago, albeit a bit livelier.

Unaware of the surprised group, Rin walked through the door, only to bump her nose into Artoria's armor. "What? Why is everyone standing like monkeys—what is that!"

The house she slept in last night had turned into an unfamiliar place.

Medea nudged Haruki. "Haruki-sama, it's her…"

Haruki nodded, imagining the culprit—his mother—giggling somewhere in the house. Her pranks were borderline dangerous for his heart. Still, he loved her to death.

"I must have triggered a spell my mom left behind." Haruki gave a vague explanation. "Let's not dally here."

Others might have believed him, but Emiya didn't buy the excuse. He didn't sense an ounce of magical energy during the process. He couldn't see any type of hidden mechanics behind the walls. It only pointed to one possibility—someone had physically morphed the house to their whims.

'We are in someone's Reality Marble… or much worse.'

He glanced at Rin, whose eyes sparked with unbridled curiosity. Nobody, not even Rider, seemed to doubt Haruki for hiding a secret.

'Are these guys too trusting or am I too paranoid?'

Shaking his head, he followed Haruki into the living room.

Much like the rest of the house, the living room had changed drastically. A massive round table spherical table sat in the center of the room. A throne-like structure and two ornate chairs were placed on one side of the table while six of the same chairs sat on the other side of the table.

Haruki immediately understood the 'hierarchy' his mother created in the room. The throne was clearly for him while the two seats belonged to Medea and Sakura, his lovers. The rest of the seats were for the rest of his Servants, Rin, and Emiya.

'She is a Beast alright.'

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"She is a vengeful soul clinging to your house," Arch casually insulted Kaede. "You should see through her trickery."

'Second mom, don't hate my first mom.'

"I'm not your mom!"

'Yes, yes.'

Medea patted Haruki's shoulder and pointed at the chair sitting right to the throne-like seat. "Haruki-sama, I'll take that seat."

"You want to be my right hand?" Haruki, of course, used telepathy to ask the question.

Medea nodded and gave her reply through telepathy. "If I can't be your sole woman, I'll be the most useful one."

"I don't mind."

Semiramis' eyes gleamed as she strode toward the table. Without anyone's permission and with a pose befitting a former queen, she rested her butt on the throne and threw her light leg over the left. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander to the past, where each and every one of her vassals used to shower her in awe. The sense of authority lifted the corner of her lips.

"My master, how do I look?"

Receiving no answer, she opened her eyes. Nobody was there to praise her in the suffocating darkness. The throne she sat upon seethed like a pool of lava. She felt chills closing her from every side. The feeling wasn't what she expected from an illusion.

'W-What is happening?'

Her composure crumbled as the darkness wrapped her. She was freezing in the dark until a sharp pain ran through her.

"Semi, snap out of it!"

Haruki's voice pulled Semiramis back from the darkness. Opening her eyes, she saw him looking down at her with a worried frown.

"Were you hallucinating?"

Semiramis touched her stinging cheeks and realized Haruki had to hit her to break the illusion with a slap. A hard slap that left her cheeks red.

"A nightmare…" She got up with Haruki's help and stared at the throne. "It's cursed."

Her A-Rank Mana should have made her immune to most of the curses in the first place. Despite that, she was sucked into the surreal nightmare like a human. The lack of magical energy in the throne only raised her confusion about its inner workings.

Haruki held back his laughter. His mother truly didn't like Semiramis, going as far as to showing her nightmares.

"Black Empress." Medea didn't miss the opportunity to mock Semiramis. With a wide grin, she slapped Semiramis' back. "The throne isn't cursed. You just aren't the 'rightful owner.'"

"Bull—" Semiramis almost cursed but Medea's wide grin stopped her. "Who is the rightful owner then?"

She didn't believe Haruki's mother could create something so complex. Modern magecraft wasn't supposed to be that sophisticated.

At Semiramis' question, Rin looked at Artoria. "Is she?"

Artoria shook her head. "I am not."

She was never going to sit on another throne. One life as a king gave her more regrets than she ever wished for. Any more, and the world will run out of grails to fulfill her wishes.

Rin approached the throne and traced her finger on the armrest. "I don't think it's a Mystic Codex."

Rin plopped down and crossed her arms. "It's not—ouch!"

She hopped off the church and rubbed her butt. It felt like she was sitting on a bed of sharp pins when the throne seemed to be smooth.

She kicked the throne in rage. The throne moved a bit, making Rin stumble back until she crashed into Haruki.

"Easy there." Haruki chuckled and pushed her shoulders. "Miss Tohsaka."

"Never mind me. This looks like it's possessed by a ghost."

The entire transformation of the house was a supernatural event in Rin's eyes. She'd be creeping out if it was her before the Holy Grail War. She had seen too much to cower before an illusionary being.

"Lancer, you want a go?" Haruki asked, giving a fair chance to others.

With a shake of his head, Cu Chulainn went over to the closest chair and placed Gae Bolg against the table. He had come to hate the crown after falling to the vile schemes of Medb, the Queen of Connacht.

Haruki's gaze went to Medusa and Emiya since they were the only ones left in the room.

"Master, you're the owner of this house. The throne will recognise you."

"I'll try then." Haruki sat down on the throne and crossed his legs. "And I'm fine. Everyone, please sit down. We need to talk about the Ley Line disorder in Fuyuki."

Semiramis sighed when she saw nothing happen to Haruki. It was a reminder that her era was over. Emiya and the rest made themselves comfortable on the seats while Medea quietly sat on Haruki's right side.

Just as Semiramis thought of taking the left seat, the door creaked open, and Sakura walked inside.

Rin turned around and froze.

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