How to Break the Nightmare

Meanwhile, on the other side of the lake, out of sight of the palace, a pile of firewood was set up behind the rocks. Shirou was using Projection Magecraft to create the kitchen utensils he would need, while Jeanne d'Arc was helping him chop wood and start a fire.

After some investigation, it was discovered that the Countess had already gone into the palace to find the Queen. After discussion, Astolfo seemed to have no intention of letting Shirou and the others leave, since he and the Griffin Hippogriff, Shun'taka, were getting bored.

In fact, Shirou and his companions didn't have any other good options. The black legion inside the palace was very troublesome, and they couldn't be seriously injured. In addition, it would be very difficult for Chevalier d'Eon and the other two to force their way through.

So they decided to stay there, found a spot where they wouldn't be easily discovered, and started making dinner.

Astolfo, dressed as Master Roshi and wearing a black hat, is having a fish-catching contest with Tamamo Cat at the lake. Astolfo is wearing a swimsuit, sticking out his butt and leaning forward, transforming into Afu the Bear. He slaps the water with both hands, trying his best to swat the fish out of the water and onto the shore, but unfortunately, his skills are not good enough and he catches very few fish.

Tamamo Cat, carrying a long-handled net, jumped onto the rocks on the shore and scooped up the small fish and shrimp floating on the surface, putting them into her fish basket. When she saw any big ones, she naturally wouldn't let them go either. She didn't disappoint the cats, reaping a bountiful harvest of both big fish and shrimp.

At that moment, Tamamo Cat seemed to spot something big. She leaped more than two meters away, plunged into the water, and then pulled out a large fish that was thrashing its tail. She slapped the fish with her paw, and it became stunned and stopped moving.

"Meow haha! Master, Master, look at the fish I caught!" Tamamo Cat happily ran to the boy, carrying the fish, to show off.

Shirou saw the plump trout being lifted up by Tamamo Cat with one hand. The large trout was a stark contrast to the petite catgirl. Good heavens, it was over 60 centimeters long and weighed at least 10 pounds.

Trout has a delicious and tender flavor, is rich in protein, and can be grilled, steamed, or used as sashimi. Trout sushi is also a delicacy.

"Oh, what a big one! Well done, Tamamo Cat." Shirou patted the catgirl's head and praised her.

"Meow hee hee, pet me a little longer, Master remember to reward me later, woof~!" Tamamo Cat comfortably squinted her eyes, enjoying the boy's petting.

"Using tools and going into the water, that's too cunning! Alright then! I'll do it too." Astolfo seemed to have his competitive spirit ignited, and immediately summoned a horn, placing it in front of his mouth.

"Wait! What do you want to do!" Jeanne d'Arc cried out.

Unfortunately, it was all too late.

Astolfo activated his Noble Phantasm; the small horn instantly transformed into a giant horn encircling him. He inhaled and forcefully blew out, "--The Flute That Awakens Panic (La Black La Black Luna)."

'Buzz~!!!' The huge horn pointed towards the lake, emitting a vibrating, demonic sound, like the roar of a demonic dragon or a phantom beast, and instantly the lake surface erupted with waves seven or eight meters high.

The fish and shrimp, already terrified, were blown into the air and fell onto the shore.

Then came a deluge of water droplets, like a torrential downpour. Shirou quickly covered the pot with the lid, but the firewood he had gathered on the bank and the burning fire were all extinguished.

Astolfo, completely submerged in the lake with his hair soaked and water droplets running down his face, noticed the people on the shore looking at him. He lightly tapped his head with his little fist and stuck out his tongue.

"Hey~!"

After that, everyone worked together to clean up the mess. The first thing they did was throw the uneaten fish and shrimp back into the lake. Fortunately, the fish floating on the surface of the lake were only stunned by the power of the Noble Phantasm. They could be revived as long as they were thrown back into the water. Otherwise, this place would have been covered with the stench of dead fish in just a few hours.

Jeanne d'Arc used flames to dry the wet wood, remove the moisture, and rekindle it;

The oil, salt, and seasonings that Tamamo Cat pulled out of her incredible apron pocket;

So Shirou started cleaning the fish and preparing dinner.

A delicious whole fish feast was prepared, including fried small fish, fried shrimp, and the ten-pound trout. The fish was cooked with ginger and chili to remove any fishy smell and then simmered to make a snow-white fish soup. The fish was steamed, sprinkled with scallions, and drizzled with hot oil sizzling with golden-brown ginger shreds. The fish was prepared in various ways, and fortunately, his Servant were all big eaters, so all the fish dishes were eventually eaten up.

The girls sat contentedly on the green grass, gazing at the stars in the sky. It seemed as if they were in a fairytale dream world, where even the night sky possessed a dreamlike beauty. A crescent moon rested on the azure lake, making it appear as if there were two moons in the world. A gentle breeze rippled across the lake, creating a gentle wave on the pale golden moon.

As night fell, most of the lights in the palace were turned off, and the surroundings became dark. It was time for Emperor Louis and his queen to rest.

So the executioner Sanson laid down his work as a butcher, left the palace, walked through the dark woods, and came to the prison where those prisoners who had been beheaded by the queen were held, to complete his duty.

The words that the Dragon Witch shouted at him today still echo in his mind from time to time; he can't forget them.

"If you know she's done something wrong but do nothing to change it, in the end she'll be the one who suffers!"

Sanson was born into a noble family loyal to the Bourbon dynasty, the White Lily royal family. The family had been engaged in the profession of executioner for generations, and he was the fourth generation in the family to do so. He did not agree with the royal family's practices, but he did not get too involved in the revolution and always remained neutral.

Faced with the nation and its people, he resolutely abandoned his affection for the royal family. He personally executed the emperor he had always respected, letting the triangular blade sever King Louis XVI's neck, and also participated in the execution of the Queen. However, after the emperor's execution, he executed wave after wave of revolutionaries. When that was all, the enemy of the people began to shift, and the revolutionaries began to be divided into mutual hostility.

The revolutionaries, composed of bourgeois elements, were more concerned with the distribution of benefits than with how to revive the country. The Girondins executed the emperor for treason; the Jacobins overthrew the Girondins and suppressed the Ferdinands and Bell; then the Jacobins split due to internal strife, and the Thermidorians staged a coup, establishing the Directory.

Thus, the most brilliant emperor in France history, the most powerful military strategist in Europe, stepped onto the stage: the great Napoleon Bonaparte, became the leader of the political party, and then established an empire.

After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Louis XVIII returned to Paris, and the throne subsequently passed to Charles X...

In the end, the period during which he killed the most people in his life did not actually make France better; it only led to a constant change of France.

He is remembered by the world and became Servant not because of his medical research, nor because he invented the guillotine to reduce the suffering of prisoners, but because he carried out the execution of the only emperor in French history to be executed.

So at that moment, Sanson swung the black blade in his hand at the people huddled inside the cell.

The iron locks binding the prisoners snapped instantly, falling to the ground with two clattering sounds.

Sanson ignored the bewildered people inside and coldly said, "Leave. Escape through the back door. I will report that you have been executed, and never show your faces in this area again."

"Ah... yes." When the first person mustered up his courage, pushed open the iron-barred cell door, and walked out, the people behind him rushed out of the gate like water from a tap that had been turned on.

"We're saved! Run!" The soldier, clutching his helmet, took off running.

"Oh, thank you for your mercy," the maid said, wiping away her tears.

"Thank you, Captain of the Guard. My family will never forget your kindness," said the noble-dressed minister.

"Yes, sir, we will never forget your kindness," many people echoed.

"Leave here as soon as possible before you're discovered. I'm not letting you go for a reward," Sanson said calmly.

Some of them were soldiers who had fallen to the ground because they were tired from being human goalkeepers and could no longer hold on.

There were maids who were detained because they made a mistake at work.

There were also noble ministers who angered the queen because of a slip of the tongue.

Regardless of the severity of the offense, there is only one punishment: beheading! Beheading! Beheading!

The hysterical queen was doing the same things as the people she hated and loathed most.

How could the three of them allow such a thing to happen? So every time the Empress's anger subsided, they would secretly release the prisoners. Even if the surrounding officials and servants knew, they would not mention it, because they didn't know what might happen and the same thing would happen to them.

"How long will this have to be repeated? How can we get the Queen to let go of these things?" Chevalier d'Eon said sadly as he watched the prisoners leave from a short distance away.

"How could I possibly know? But whether Marie praises me or scolds me, it's a great reward to me," Mozart said with a nonchalant smile.

"Forget you're a pervert, stay away from me." Chevalier d'Eon coldly distanced himself from the musician. Even though he had heard of this prodigy's illustrious name in his previous life, and as Servant he understood even more clearly his status in music history. He should have been someone to be respected, but after meeting him in person, he couldn't feel any respect at all.

"Ah, this is a reward too," Mozart said with amusement, showing no anger whatsoever.

Then came the voice from behind, a sorrowful and poignant voice, filled with the cold indifference of a girl driven to the depths of despair and anger.

"You lot... so you've been doing this behind my back all along... I thought you would understand me, that you would never betray me..."

Like Ramesses II, she was a Rider. Although she didn't have the magnificent pyramids of the Egyptian Sun King, she did have the Palace of Versailles, which was commissioned by Louis XIV, who called himself the Sun King. It is one of the five great palaces in the world, alongside the Forbidden City in China and Buckingham Palace in Britain.

Even though her husband, Louis XVI was the most powerful person in this place, was not Servant, she, as the same person in charge, possessed what was essentially the ultimate Noble Phantasm, the culmination of centuries of France history and culture, as a symbol of the nation.

Because of the various privileges afforded by this palace, none of Queen Mary's Servant noticed her presence when she appeared there.

"Empress!!"

"Marie!"

They never expected that Black Queen Mary, who would never concern herself with such trivial matters as beheadings, would appear here at this moment. At this time, she was emanating black resentment, which even obscured her figure.

"So you're all traitors after all... Yes, even though you say you'll serve the royal family, you all end up hiding. The royalists only need an heir to the throne, which is why they let my son be imprisoned and die."

"All of this was a decision I made without my consent. Please punish me," Sanson said, walking up to the Queen, kneeling down, and bowing his head.

"Punishment!? Do you think that punishment can be borne entirely by one person? Impossible! That's why I beheaded everyone equally." Black Queen Mary laughed out of anger.

"Your Majesty, please let us explain!" Chevalier d'Eon stepped forward and said.

"Yes, Marie, calm down. You won't be able to see your lovely face if you're like this," Mozart said with a smile.

The Black Queen's face darkened, and she said coldly, "That's enough... Charles Henri Sanson, Chevalier d'Eon de Beaumont, and... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, I no longer need you. From this day forward, you are demoted to gardeners outside the palace, and you are not to approach the palace again until the flowerbeds outside are filled with lilies!"

"Queen! We would never betray you!" Chevalier d'Eon shouted, trying to chase after her to explain.

The moment she entered the palace grounds, a wall of magical flames rose up, blocking Chevalier d'Eon's advance and setting her gloves ablaze.

Chevalier d'Eon withdrew his burned hand, letting it hang down in disappointment. Although the flames were not enough to harm him as Saber, they clearly demonstrated the Queen's will. To take another step forward would be to defy her, something he, as a Royal Dragon Knight, could not do.

Marie walked with her head down to her bedroom, the floor damp with dripping water.

"Ah, in my pursuit of revenge, I've even lost the friends I used to Matsushita and have tea parties with... There's no turning back now..."

"Yes, Marie, your resentment has reached its peak, you can eat now," the little girl suddenly said with a smile.

"What!?" Marie was startled before she could turn around.

A pair of black scissors closed together, piercing the Black Queen from behind and emerging from her abdomen.

The little girl who released black scissors from the black book stood behind Marie, still wearing the same smile.

"Waaaaaah!!! You monster! How dare you break your promise to me!" The Black Queen roared as she looked at the scissors piercing her abdomen.

"No, dear Marie, isn't becoming one with me the best way to achieve your revenge? I really look forward to seeing what kind of nightmares your resentment will create," the black mud Heroic Spirit said with a smile.

Curses, resentment, bitterness, jealousy, deception, betrayal...

Beheading! Beheading! Beheading! Beheading! Beheading! Beheading!...

"Waaaaaahhhhhh!!!" The Black Queen let out a mournful scream. The black scissors that had pierced her abdomen instantly transformed into a gaping maw, turning into black sludge that began to cover her skin from the outside, while inside, it seeped into her blood vessels and filled her internal organs, continuously mixing with the Black Queen.

At this moment, the blood that the Black Queen spat out had somehow turned into Black Mud, and the human form was completely covered by the black sludge.

The ominous black book opened, revealing a black hole that swallowed it whole. Then, the pages flipped continuously until finally, one page after another tore open, and a gigantic Black Shadow burst forth—an unprecedentedly twisted monster.

"Damn it! Let go of the boss!"

"Go!"

The Black man, armed with machine guns and knives and axes, charged toward the black monster, shouting as they did so.

The black monster swallowed the twenty-odd Black man whole, its body continuously expanding and growing larger.

The upper body is composed of hatred, resentment, and negative emotions, but inside it is filled with things that bring joy to children, such as game consoles, chessboards, picture books, and dolls.

But from her lower body, sticky pus oozed out, and worms crawled out and fell to the ground. Tumors grew on her back and belly, and inside her black, translucent belly was a frozen, dark purple abandoned infant, whose pink placenta had been expelled from her feces after taking abortion pills...

Then tentacles grew, wrapped with sharp black scissors and syringes dripping liquid, ready to be injected...

Beautiful things and ugly food were all twisted together, writhing.

However, white flowers, symbolizing purity, holiness, and nobility, grew from the tail section.

Such a monster, just one glance is enough to make one dizzy and vomit uncontrollably; a second glance causes convulsions throughout the body; and by the third glance, there is no more reaction, because one has completely gone mad.

At this moment, Shirou stared at the monster, his face turning deathly pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead. The nauseating feeling, the sensation of his brain being torn apart, the feeling as if his heart had been emptied, the scene of a fiery red fire engulfing everything—all these images flashed through his mind again. His lips were cracked, his throat felt like it was on fire, the smell of burning flesh, the cries and pleas for help from people—and then... he became numb.

Shirou pressed one hand to his abdomen, feeling it trembling, and his entire body was shaking uncontrollably as if he were having a spasm.

It must be eliminated; such a monster must never be allowed to appear in this world.

Just as Shirou looked at the monster, the monster was also looking at Shirou.

The monster let out a mournful howl, like the cry of a baby, and crawled toward the boy. The buildings that blocked its path were directly devoured by the monster's twisted body, becoming part of its own. The ruins that were not devoured dripped with a black, viscous liquid.

The monster came to within five or six meters of the boy, raised one of its black, murky tentacles high, and lashed it out at the boy's head like a whip.

At that very moment, a crack appeared in the dream world, and simultaneously, a Flower Path of blooming purple and white flowers spread out from the crevice, reaching right up to the boy.

"Shirou! If you don't go out now, how long do you plan to wait!" Merlin's voice came from inside.

"But..."

Before Shirou could finish speaking, he felt himself being pushed forcefully by two hands and sent flying into the gap. When he turned around, he saw Jeanne d'Arc' Arc and Tamamo Cat smiling at him.

"What will happen to you if I leave?..." Shirou couldn't finish his sentence before he fell into the crevice, and then everything went black.

"Charge! -- The Hippogriff, a phantom horse that will never exist again!" A beam of light, faster than the speed of sound, pulled Jeanne d'Arc and Tamamo Cat up and carried them away before the monster's tentacles could strike.

Chapter 180 Methods to End Nightmares

"Shirou, hey! Shirou."

"Hmm...?" The boy opened his eyes slightly, and what he saw was the light outside, a blinding white light. After a while, Shirou realized that he was lying on a chair in an airplane.

"Shirou, are you alright? You look terrible. The plane has arrived." Shizuka Hiratsuka leaned over and asked the boy with concern.

"No..." Shirou began, his mouth feeling dry and his voice somewhat hoarse.

In a daze, Shirou watched as Shizuka Hiratsuka stepped off the plane, the roar of planes taking off echoing outside. He was trying to gather his thoughts.

In that world, a Black Mud monster suddenly appeared, and it was a very terrible strange creature. At the crucial moment, Merlin opened a crack, and he was pushed through by Jeanne d'Arc' Arc and Tamamo Cat. So, did he escape that dream world?

How much time has passed since he returned here after leaving that dream world? What happened to Jeanne d'Arc and the others afterward?

The thought of all this made it impossible for me to stay any longer, even after passing through security.

"Teacher! I need to go to the restroom!" Shirou said, then ignored everything else, pulled out his phone, contacted Chaldea, and ran out.