Avalon, the Ideal Land! Merlin Must Die

About ten minutes later, Rin Tohsaka walked out with a complicated expression.

"How did it go?" Emiya asked first.

Rin shot Yu Feng a glare. "You already knew she'd ask that many questions, didn't you?"

Yu Feng didn't confirm or deny, and Rin sighed. "She won't be able to participate in this Holy Grail War. That's good news for us."

"But... I never expected it to be him." Rin's expression grew complicated as something occurred to her.

Emiya asked the obvious question. "Him? Do you know who stole the Command Spells?"

Rin nodded. "Yes. It's Kirei Kotomine. He's an executor of the Holy Church, the supervisor of this Holy Grail War, and also a participant from the last one who managed to survive."

Mordred spoke up. "Oh? That makes this Holy Grail War interesting. The supervisor of the war arbitrarily steals a participant's Command Spells and tries to join himself? Now that's something."

Rin didn't reply. Instead, she glanced toward Bazett's room.

Yu Feng checked the time. "It's getting late, Rin. Just get a good night's sleep. Besides, that guy might have a lot more you don't know about. Just keep your distance from now on."

Rin nodded, then seemed to realize something. "I was just wondering if that faint magical fluctuation on campus today was also his doing."

Magical fluctuation?

Yu Feng blinked and looked at Emiya, who nodded. Yu Feng grew puzzled.

What's going on? Could it really be Kirei Kotomine's work? That doesn't seem right.

Would he pull something like that on school grounds?

Forget it. I'll take a look tomorrow. Maybe I'll find out then.

"I'll go with you tomorrow to check it out. Let's sleep for now. We'll talk about it then. There's no point racking our brains over it tonight."

Rin sighed helplessly. "I guess that's all we can do."

The Tohsaka Estate fell silent shortly after. Yu Feng lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Then Mordred's voice came from beside him.

"I sensed a familiar presence on your school grounds today." Her tone was thick with complexity.

Yu Feng hummed in acknowledgment. "It's Avalon, isn't it? A relic. It might summon her."

"Is that the acquaintance you mentioned to me?"

Yu Feng asked, "What, don't know how to face her?"

"Who—who said that?! As if! You're overthinking it!"

"Good. There might be another fight waiting tomorrow..."

"Huh? Now you're talking. Hey?"

Mordred called out to Yu Feng a few times, but only steady breathing answered her.

"Tch, you bastard..." She grumbled irritably, then fell silent.

As Yu Feng drifted off to sleep, he distinctly felt as though someone was calling out to him.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself atop a tall tower, surrounded by a scene of pure fantasy.

Countless Phantasmal Species lived here without a care, and now and then he could spot a few Ladies of the Lake among them. The entire scene was dreamlike—petals dancing in the wind. Though it was a dream, everything felt so real to Yu Feng.

Like an ocean of flowers.

"Pantaleon, it's been so long." A voice came from behind him.

There stood someone familiar to both identities—Pantaleon, no, Yu Feng and Pantaleon alike.

Yu Feng murmured in surprise, "Merlin?"

Merlin smiled faintly. "Hey~"

Yu Feng immediately strode over, ready to do something.

Seeing the danger, Merlin shifted his form, and Yu Feng's attack passed right through him.

"Hey, hey! Is that how you greet an old friend you haven't seen in ages?" Merlin complained.

Yu Feng didn't answer his question. "Merlin must die!"

Merlin's voice carried a mix of helplessness and smugness. "Give it up. You're in a dream, and I pulled you here. In a sense, you can't touch me while I'm in the gap between dream and reality. Besides, this is Avalon."

Yu Feng finally stopped. "I was just venting. I'll say this—your personality is even worse than mine."

Merlin chuckled. "Well, I am the son of a nightmare, after all."

Yu Feng gazed out at the scenery within Avalon.

"And Avalon shouldn't have Phantasmal Species or Ladies of the Lake, right? That's because of my dream, isn't it?"

Merlin looked at the Phantasmal Species and Ladies of the Lake outside. "Of course. This beautiful, dreamlike scene only appears briefly because of your dream. Once you go back, it will all fade away, and poor Merlin will return to his lonely, companionless time. Boohoo, how tragic."

Ignoring Merlin's self-pity, Yu Feng stared at the sea of petals.

"So, why did you call me here? Not just for small talk, I hope?"

Merlin sobered up a little, though he still wore that carefree expression.

"Mm~ after the Holy Grail War ends, I need to ask you for a favor—it's that mess you left behind back in Britain." Merlin said this, but his real aim was to drag Yu Feng fully into the scheme.

Yu Feng, of course, could read between the lines of Merlin's words. But when Merlin mentioned it was his mess, Yu Feng paused, as if he hadn't expected he'd left any trouble behind.

"You're not messing with me, are you? Eight out of ten things you say can't be trusted." Yu Feng eyed Merlin with suspicion.

Merlin shrugged nonchalantly. "Believe it or not."

"I'll trust you this once."

As Yu Feng spoke, he noticed his form slowly fading away.

"You bastard, you were just waiting for me to say that, weren't you? Damn you, Merlin!" In that moment, Yu Feng realized Merlin's plan.

Merlin flashed a sly grin. "Yu Feng~ The contract is sealed~"

"Damn it..." Yu Feng's words trailed off as he vanished from this dreamlike Avalon.

Only Merlin remained, still chuckling at his successful trick.

"Looks like learning a few things pays off after all. This contract will come in handy later. So, when you get there and see what's going on, I wonder if you'll be surprised?"

"Just thinking about that scene is way too amusing, hahaha."

"Ah-choo! Seriously, who's cursing me now? Speaking of which, Cáer Ibormeith should be landing around this time, right? Thank me, Cáer Ibormeith—you're about to experience all the wonderful things this world has to offer."