Magical Merlin

This time, the light of the Silver Star, the Sun, and the Moon, three different colors, merged together. At the same time, the elements that constitute the world—earth, fire, water, and wind—hanged before him like stars. They then coalesced and finally converged into an elemental magic sword that combined the four different colors of light.

"At this moment, guided by the True Ether, let my delusions, the forms of my thoughts... coalesce here!!"

"—The Sword of Paracelsus (Sword of Paracelsus)!!"

"They're already here? Well... I'm going too!!"

Without stopping or disturbing her, Scáthach simply watched as Rovey finished all his chanting and then raised his hand to unleash his most powerful attack ever.

Then, she began her own actions...

"If a single spear strike reaches the pinnacle of skill, even killing a god is as easy as turning one's hand."

"—The Gae Bolg Alternative— The Gáe Bolg Alternative!!"

In a fleeting instant, the Crimson Demon Spear that had been tightly gripped in Scáthach's hand suddenly slipped from her grasp. The dark red light, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, vanished from Scáthach's hand in the blink of an eye, silently and without a trace, just as it had when she pierced Gilgamesh, making it difficult to fathom and detect.

However, this time she lacked the venue of the Land of Shadows and the enhancement of Command Seal. With only her remaining magical power, she naturally couldn't recreate the true God-Slaying Shot. But...

Even with just that, it would be an irresistible and deadly attack for an ordinary Magus. Even when faced with the sweeping torrent of elements and the attacks of the sun and moon, it could easily cross them and arrive in front of its target in the blink of an eye.

'The pinnacle of martial arts... the greatest truths are the simplest. Such an attack is indeed beyond my current ability to withstand...'

As the demonic spear vanished from his sight and approached his heart almost imperceptibly, Rovey pondered deeply.

At that moment, he could vaguely sense Gilgamesh's despair. In a limited area, without sufficient mobility, it was absolutely impossible to withstand this shot; all one could do was quietly wait for death.

But...

Faced with this absolutely undetectable shot that traversed space, Rovey was not in a hurry. He simply raised his head slightly, his eyes still filled with the same initial determination.

The moment the Crimson Magic Spear appeared on his body, his lips twitched slightly.

Then the golden light hidden in his chest began to flicker.

"—Garden of Avalon (Garden of Avalon)"

His Noble Phantasm had been prepared in advance, was activated instantly. After receiving approval from both Merlin and Artoria, he was able to briefly and unconditionally activate a portion of Avalon.

Call out--!!!

Accompanied by a dazzling white light, a barrier called the Other Shore opened in front of him, and the golden barrier easily isolated the demonic spear that was capable of tearing through space and piercing causality.

The Anti-Purge Defense have been reopened!!

"That's... Avalon ..."

Seeing her all-out magic spear easily blocked by Rovey's invincible Avalon, Scáthach's excited mood instantly plummeted to rock bottom.

Because she knew she had lost.

Even the ultimate martial skill cannot cross the boundaries of Avalon. It is Anti-Purge Defense, an absolutely invincible defense. Even the King of Heroes's Enuma Elish could not destroy this ideal land.

Only...

"How despicable, using Saber's Noble Phantasm in a battle against someone else. But... a loss is a loss, there's no excuse for it."

The situation immediately reversed; the last shot missed Rovey, so it was now his turn to suffer.

Before Scáthach could even think of her next move, the torrent of elements, along with the light of the sun and moon and the phantom of a weapon, arrived before her in an instant, easily dissolving her already faltering body into the sky.

A sharp, screeching sound filled the air.

Then came an endless stream of light, as if the sky were falling.

In Scáthach's view, the immense power contained in Rovey's move was in no way inferior to the full release of any A+ rank Noble Phantasm.

"That's really something..."

--call out!!

A blinding light arrived in an instant. Scáthach gently closed her eyes. Then, the spot where she stood, along with half of the Great Hall behind her and Mount Enzō, were blasted into a deep ravine filled with lava and magic by this blinding light. Her body also turned into spiritual particles and dissipated in this Holy Grail War.

The last Servant, Caster Scáthach, has now left the stage.

However, this time, before the battle began, Rovey evacuated all the people in the surrounding area and strengthened the barrier, so apart from the huge economic losses, no lives were lost.

The outcome is finally decided...

Gripping the shorter, Crimson Demon Spear in his hand, Rovey recalled the words Scáthach had conveyed to him using Rune before she was eliminated, and a smile appeared on his face.

'Master, until the future.'

"By the way, next time you summon me in the Holy Grail War, use the demonic spear I left for you. Remember to choose the Lancer Class. If you dare to abandon me and summon Saber or Archer instead, and I find out, you're dead!!"

"Huh... is this a threat? Or a blessing?"

"Without realizing it, I've really accumulated a lot of debts, but I've also gained a lot."

Rovey raised his head to look at the sky above, then stretched out his palm toward the sun and muttered to himself.

"Heroic Spirit... and the Holy Grail War, they are indeed very interesting, and the strange and colorful world I live in."

"Well then, I look forward to seeing you all again in the future~"

——

——

[End of Volume One]

Chapter Ninety-Nine: True Magic Merry

"I'd rather be forever lost in your dreams; for me, dreams... are the only reality."

The dream was hazy and indistinct.

It resembled mist but wasn't, dazzling the eye.

In the dream world, where illusion and reality constantly overlap, the sea of flowers in the paradise reaches the sky, and the rainbow light disappears between heaven and earth.

"Come, my friend... let's spend this most wonderful time together."

Magus naturally curly hair that was almost white and iridescent, arranged this dreamlike tea party in a sea of flowers in a dream, and he spoke these words to the dreamer.

In a hazy, golden mist, dawn had already turned golden, and the air was filled with a sweet, intoxicating aroma.

Looking into the distance, one could see a road paved with silver, gold, jade, and all sorts of gemstones, which led directly to a tall tower built of pure white marble.

The ancient clock tower hummed, and angels in the four primary colors floated in the sky. Then, a golden petal slowly landed on Rovey's shoulder.

Then--

Suddenly, a flame rose from Rovey's fingertips.

The illusion is shattered here.

Upon entering, Rovey's thoughts were completely freed from the illusion's influence, and he became fully awake.

"Sigh, as always, it has no effect. Your ignoring of illusions makes people feel like failures..."

"Well, we meet again, you miraculous boy. Uh, but did I disturb your rest, big brother?"

The gentle voice of the boy next door rang in Rovey's ears.

Soon, the world filled with medieval style, modern Western Magecraft, and Alchemy completely disappeared. The flowers that were originally made of precious Alchemy materials such as silver, gold, and mercury became a genuine and prosperous place, stretching endlessly towards the distant horizon.

Above a sea of flowers, beside a white tower, a young man with naturally curly white hair and eyes as beautiful as stars, scratching his head, smiled at the interesting friend who had brought him a unique experience.

Although he said he was sorry for disturbing Rovey's rest, his smug face betrayed him. This guy wasn't reacting at all; instead, he seemed to find it quite amusing.

"Oh dear, my dearest friend, seeing you so exhausted really makes my heart start pounding again. It seems I've come at a very inopportune time."

"Oh, Merlin's beard, look what you've done! You know I just endured forty-eight hours of hellish ordeal, almost got beaten to the ground by my Scathach, and then was dragged to the Land of Shadows to be his wife. I finally managed to finish everything and restore the ruined Mount Enzō, and now I can finally catch my breath. And you dare to bother me at this time? Hey, old friend, if you dare speak in that weird translator's accent again, believe me, I'll kick your ass hard with my spiked shoes, you stupid groundhog!!"

Rovey rolled his eyes at him, then retorted in a similar tone.

Then, the Magecraft suddenly began.

The next moment, golden light flashed incessantly at his fingertips, which he then used in this dream that belonged to him.

Soon, the dream was recreated.

A magnificent mansion rose from beneath their feet, with a comfortable sofa in the spacious living room. A fireplace nearby was lit with warm flames, the orange-yellow light illuminating the faces of the two men beside the fire.

"Seriously, this is a dream I constructed, yet it can be stripped away with just a thought and turned into my own palace? What an amazing cheating ability..."

"Indeed, both your role as a Foreigner and your system Magecraft are absolutely terrifying."

When Merlin realized that the control of the dream had slipped from his hands as the weaver and fallen entirely into Rovey's hands, even Merlin couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying power of Loewy's Magecraft and abilities.

"This is the second time, so of course I should be more skilled than last time."

Rovey leaned back on the soft sofa, looking up at the crystal chandelier in the dome, and explained, "The target of your dream is actually the human spirit, that is, the brain and soul of a living being. In terms of the soul, even if the Third Magician were alive, he wouldn't dare say that he could defeat the soul of an Outer God. Therefore, I can be immune to your illusion interference to the greatest extent. What works ten times as well as others might only have one or two tenths effect on me."

"As for the issue of taking the lead, that's even more interesting."

Rovey stretched out his palm and Projection his handwritten copy of the original "Law Book" from reality, then gently opened it in front of Merlin.

As I always say, "Do what you will, that is the law."

"Trust in the power within you, that is your true True Magic. So, since you are operating in my spiritual world, it is only natural that I, as an omniscient and omnipotent master, can do whatever I want, and that is my True Magic. So, is this a dream you have created? No, this is actually my palace."

"Believe in the power of the heart... That's quite a strange theory, and also quite unconventional. From the Age of Gods to the present day, no Magecraft canonical texts in any system contain such a theory. But it actually works. No wonder the author of the Law Book is called both a heinous criminal and a genius."

Upon hearing this, Merlin tapped his wand lightly, then glanced at the Law Book and nodded thoughtfully. He then stopped pondering the book's questions and let himself lean back on the soft sofa. "If it were before, I certainly wouldn't have understood such a wondrous and obsessive theory as the mind being True Magic, but now..."

Merlin smiled meaningfully.

Whether it was experiencing sadness and self-blame because he witnessed Artoria falling into utter despair and pain due to his own dominance and inaction.

I still feel worried because I see her confused, seeking a non-existent salvation, trapped in the past world, unable to break free.

And the joy and happiness that comes from seeing her finally free her heart under Rovey's guidance and embark on her new future.

All of this made Merlin realize that emotions and the human heart are indeed the most unfathomable things in the world. Your mind is your True Magic. This theory may really be true, or perhaps the mind is actually more complex and mysterious than True Magic. Who knows?

After pondering the matter for a moment, Merlin, thinking of Artoria embarking on a new future, unconsciously smiled faintly. "Well, speaking of which... if we count the time, haven't we last seen each other for several days already?"

"Yes, didn't we just meet for the first time about three days ago? Back then, it was because you kept thinking about me and used Magecraft to lull me to sleep time and time again. In the end, I felt that it would be troublesome to continue to ignore it, so I accepted your invitation in person, right?"

As Rovey spoke, he then snapped his fingers, summoning two cups of coffee from his memories to appear in front of them. "Hmm, as expected of my own dream, it really can create something out of nothing, somewhat similar to the Golden Evolution Technique, only more convenient."

He picked up his coffee and thoughtfully analyzed the current state of his dream.

"Hmm... Who would have thought that while your soul strength is astonishingly high, you also set up three layers of defensive restrictions on your body? As long as someone tries to touch your mind, that thing will forcibly emit a stinging pain in your soul and forcibly awaken you."

Upon hearing Rovey mention his recent string of setbacks, Merlin couldn't help but let out a troubled smile.

"Isn't that meant to defend against old perverts like you who want to access other people's minds without their consent?"

"Hahaha... Well, there's nothing we can do about it. After all, older brothers can't come out in this era."

"It's only because you have the treasure Avalon inside you as a transit point that I can enter your dream so easily. Otherwise, I still wouldn't be able to get in."

"Is it really because of Avalon?"

Upon hearing Merlin's explanation, Rovey nodded slightly and then understood the true situation.

"However, your dream world is quite convenient, isn't it? It seems that even the flow of time can be controlled by me..."

As he observed the evolution of time within the dream, Rovey's expression became thoughtful.

"Yes, it is indeed very convenient. However, if people remain awake for too long while immersed in their dreams, the more wonderful the dream, the more fascinated they will become, like a sweet poison, gradually immersing them in it and making them unwilling to accept the real world outside."

Merlin sighed.

Having lived for so long, he had seen countless Magus and heroes enter the dream realm, but because they were so captivated by its beauty, their minds were unwilling to leave, and in the end, they were forever trapped within it.

After all, the world in dreams does not need the physical laws that exist in the real world; everything can evolve according to the owner's subconscious.

Whether it's filling warehouses with treasure, having your beloved accept your love, or even birds swimming in the water and fish flying in the sky, no matter how incredible or bizarre things are in the real world, they can all be easily achieved in dreams.

Because as long as you immerse yourself in the dream world, you can have everything you want: wealth, love, status, and more. You can be your own omnipotent master. However, the sense of loss when you wake up and lose everything will make you want to escape reality and never want to wake up from the dream.

Until the day that person's spirit, body, and soul completely decay...

This kind of thing is truly terrifying for humans.

"Let's forget about dreams and get down to business, my friend." After a moment of reflection, Merlin looked at Rovey with a smile and spoke earnestly.