"Oh? And how do I know you're not lying?" Souma eyed him with disdain.
This trashy incubus was always up to no good.
The only reason he hadn't actually cut him down yet was out of respect for his role as the Lion King's mentor.
No matter how much of a scumbag he was, Merlin was still the founder of the Knights of the Round Table—essentially the royal advisor of ancient Britain.
Not to mention a candidate for the title of Grand Caster.
Souma would much rather see him actually step up and fulfill his duty as a Grand Caster, protecting humanity when the time came.
Oh, right—once he did, he could force him into a contract.
"All sacrifices are necessary!"
When that day came, he'd have no choice but to fight!
For a trashy incubus like Merlin, who fed on human dreams, protecting humanity was ultimately protecting himself.
A purely symbiotic relationship—
No, scratch that. This guy had been slacking off in his role, more like a parasite.
If humanity perished, Merlin wouldn't survive either.
Merlin hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. "Then let us swear a contract in the name of [Alaya]!"
"If you feed Romani that cake in your [Magical☆Merlin] form, it'll count as atonement for messing with him."
Souma nodded and pointed his sword at the other party. "If you can't do it, don't blame me for cutting you down and sending you to the Throne of Heroes!"
As the spokesperson of [Alaya],
it was equivalent to having the referee, players, and audience all on his side. How could the other party possibly contend with him?
This guy still wasn't a Heroic Spirit purely because he possessed an extremely long lifespan, having lived from ancient Britain all the way to the present.
During the previous Final Singularity, Merlin had been completely unaffected by Goetia's [Nega-Summon].
Yet,
this guy hadn't shown up from start to finish.
If he wasn't slacking off, could he have gone off to stop some minor threat?
"Fine! If I don't feed him cake, then I'll go to the Throne of Heroes!"
Merlin readily agreed.
Given that deadbeat doctor's simp-like attitude, he'd come running to lick her boots with just a casual wave of her hand.
If she personally fed him cake and called him "Onii-chan," he might just die from happiness!
If that happened and the deadbeat doctor kicked the bucket from excitement, it wouldn't be her fault!
Everything would be [Nameless]'s fault!
Hum~
As the two finalized their contract, an overwhelming, majestic force descended with absolute dominance.
It stood above all Heroic Spirits—the collective self-preservation instinct of humanity itself.
The moment it arrived,
Merlin was once again reminded of the time she had made a bet with it, only for [Alaya] to descend the moment she lost.
It hadn't given her any room to resist or struggle, leaving her utterly frustrated.
Alaya, you really spoil him!
This time was actually no different from the last.
Once again, he was backed into a corner with no way to resist.
"Now that the contract is complete, you should get to work," Souma said, looking at the other with undisguised disdain.
This guy really never did anything decent.
Considering how badly the doctor had been tricked by him...
If he couldn't even handle such a small task, Souma would just cut him down with a single stroke of his sword and send him straight to the Throne of Heroes!
Meanwhile.
Romani Archaman, who had been deceived by the illusion earlier, sat on his bed in a daze.
The illusion had been so realistic that he had instinctively accepted it as the truth, his eyes brimming with tears.
"I was so foolish, truly!"
Romani lifted his lifeless eyes and continued, "I knew virtual idols were just that—virtual. They couldn't possibly manifest in reality."
"But I never imagined there could be illusions convincing enough to mimic them!"
"After receiving a message from Merlin, I rushed over first thing in the morning, overjoyed to see my idol in person."
"Yet I never expected it was all just the illusion of that despicable incubus! My adorable idol turned out to be that creep who wouldn't even spare a man!"
He tried to say more, but his words dissolved into incoherent sobs.
Left alone, he could only sit there, heartbroken and weeping.
Click—
Just then, the door opened, and a figure so familiar it might as well have been etched into his DNA stepped inside.
She stood at about 140 centimeters tall, dressed in a pure white dress, her long silver hair cascading softly down her back.
In her hands, she held a tempting slice of strawberry cake.
Her ruby-like eyes, glistening with innocence, gazed at him tenderly. "Doctor Romani, let me feed you some cake, okay?"
A dream come true!
This was, without a doubt, the ultimate fantasy that would let Romani die without regrets.
Even in his wildest dreams, he wouldn't have dared imagine such a scene.
Yet, upon seeing the unbearably adorable little girl before him...
Romani suddenly threw his hands up defensively, scrambling backward until his back hit the wall.
His face twisted in panic as he shouted, "Stay away from me! Don't come any closer!!!"
"...I'm the real Merlin, not an illusion!"
For a moment, Merlin was at a loss for words.
Had this hopeless otaku doctor been traumatized by what happened earlier?
"Ahhh, don't come near me! If you take another step, I'll scream!" Romani grabbed a nearby bottle and brandished it at the little girl.
"Go ahead and scream. Scream until—ahem—I really am Magical☆Merlin, not a fake!"
Merlin's face lit up with an angelically sweet smile. "Let me feed you strawberry cake, Onii-chan~"
She deliberately drew out the last word in a high-pitched, childish tone, dripping with coquettish charm.
So much so that it nearly made her want to vomit.
Back when she livestreamed, every time she did this, countless fans would lose their minds, spamming comments like "A-Wei is dead!"
Too cute! My heart can't take it!
The barrage of donations and messages would always explode.
But this time...
The otaku doctor before her trembled violently, his fear only growing as he cried, "Get away! Don't touch me!"
"..."
Merlin stared at the terrified doctor, barely resisting the urge to draw her sword and cut him down on the spot.
You're the freaking King of Mages! How can you be this much of a coward?!
A mere illusion was enough to scare the progenitor of magecraft himself?
Unfortunately, even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare—not even to cast another illusion to trick him into compliance.
After all, she wasn't actually alone in this room.
There were quite a few people watching around—Nameless, Tiamat, Fou, Abigail, Scáthach, and more!
If she really dared to try any underhanded tricks, she'd be instantly cut down by a sword, slapped to death, or kicked to death!
Merlin gritted her teeth, then suddenly pouted and stomped her foot. "That damn jerk Roman, you're actually scared of me? Urusai! Urusai! Urusai!"
After all, gold will always shine, and skirts will always expose something.
And one's dignity will always be lost.
For the sake of her own life, she could afford to lose a bit of dignity.
Before, the other party had shamelessly sought her out to chat, enduring all kinds of scolding from her each time, yet still persisted like some masochist.
Or rather,
For a shut-in like him, this wasn't some punishment game—it was the best reward possible!
However.
It was all for nothing.
The other party still looked at her in sheer panic, just wanting to drive her away.
Outside the door.
Souma smiled as he drew his sword. "Looks like she's going to fail."
The earlier contract was clear.
If she succeeded in feeding the doctor cake, they'd reluctantly let her off.
But if she failed?
Well, then he wouldn't hesitate to send Merlin straight to the Throne of Heroes with one swing of his sword!
This made Souma feel a little strange.
In Chinese mythology, the ancient master angler Jiang Taigong was the best at this sort of thing.
That Jiang Taigong, who loved fishing with a straight hook, had personally sent countless powerful figures to the Fengshen Bang (Register of the Gods)!
If he ever got the chance, he should really exchange some pointers with him...
"Indeed, she's really going to fail." Scáthach also wore a look of amused surprise.
Tsk, isn't this the Flower Mage? How'd she get so pathetic after just a few days?
She never would've imagined.
The illustrious Flower Mage would be pushed to such a state, yet still fail at the simple task of feeding someone cake.
How utterly laughable—
No, how pitiful!
As the noble Queen of the Land of Shadows, how could she possibly take pleasure in seeing a peer reduced to such a state?
She was a professional, after all—she would never laugh—
Unless she couldn't help it...
Fou stood on Souma's shoulder, practically vibrating with excitement. "Fou... Fou? (What's next?)"
Even if they killed her, she'd just end up on the Throne of Heroes—she wouldn't truly disappear.
In fact, it'd force her to actually do something useful instead of just sitting around like a useless lump.
"All sacrifices are necessary. For the sake of humanity, I hope you'll make this small sacrifice."
Souma's expression turned solemn as the world in his eyes abruptly shifted to grayscale.
[Mystic Eyes of Death Perception]—activated!
He pointed his sword at her. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle. You won't feel a thing."
If she couldn't even manage this tiny task, then she had no right to keep living.
"...Stay away from me!" Merlin panicked instantly.
She possessed a near-eternal lifespan—she had no need to go to the Throne of Heroes.
If she got cut down here, she'd be forced to work under [Alaya]'s control.
Just look at Nameless—worked to the bone on a 24/7 schedule.
No, worse.
He was split across countless timelines, simultaneously handling one task after another to protect humanity.
The mere thought of it made Merlin shudder in horror.
Too terrifying.
Compared to [Alaya], every black-hearted capitalist in the world combined would seem like saints!
"Give it up. You're not escaping this time."
Souma grinned at her.
He'd long since grown sick of her antics—finally, he could settle this grudge under the guise of duty.
He deliberately contacted [Alaya]: "So, can she be made a Grand Caster?"
If she could be turned into a Caster, she could be sacrificed as a Noble Phantasm during the final battle against the ultimate enemy.
The ultimate one-time self-destruct weapon!
The reply came swiftly—
[Alaya: The true Grand Caster is about to return. She is no longer needed.]
"Uh…"
Souma was momentarily stunned.
Just then.
An anomaly suddenly occurred in the room.
A brilliant golden light descended from outside, landing right in the room.
To be precise.
It landed on Romani Archaman's finger.
It was none other than the ring that had previously been removed by Mash and Da Vinci!
A mysterious and transcendent power pulsed from the ring.
It was the very same power of transcendence wielded by [God].
Souma's expression hardened. "As I thought, we couldn't stop it after all."
This meant that Romani Archaman's power was truly awakening.
All ten rings would return to his hands, restoring him completely to the omniscient and omnipotent King Solomon!
Romani Archaman, who had been frozen in panic, now gazed at the ring on his finger with mixed emotions.
His eyes seemed to pierce through all illusions. "I've enjoyed this respite long enough. It's time to do what must be done."
This time, he would no longer run away.
During the final Singularity, it was Nameless who had sacrificed himself so that Romani could survive.
So, he was about to start repaying his debts.
Once his power was fully restored and he regained the strength of his peak, he would become Nameless's most reliable ally.
By then, the enemies would learn the true meaning of cruelty.
The true meaning of magical bombardment!
The only thing Dr. Roman worried about was—
Once he returned to his peak strength, he would become a puppet devoid of self once more.
He would lose all human emotions, ascending as a lofty deity, no longer human.
To lose one's humanity is to lose everything.
Souma, seeing the doctor's despondent expression, asked [Alaya], "Can this be resolved?"
As her spokesperson, such a small privilege shouldn't be an issue.
As the doctor's closest friend, he naturally didn't want to see him lose his humanity.
That would mean Dr. Roman would die completely, only to be resurrected as the cold and merciless King Solomon!
The reply came instantly—
[Of course.]
Hum~
As [Alaya] gave her answer, a mysterious power descended upon Dr. Roman.
To his astonishment, he realized he could now wield the Counter Force to preserve his humanity.
Even if his power fully recovered, he wouldn't become a soulless puppet.
It was somewhat similar to the [Sha Naqba Imuru] of the King of Heroes.
Though he could grasp all things, he chose to keep it sealed for the sake of chance and the unknown.
Because—
When you know everything, you lose all desire, gradually transforming into an indifferent god!
Merlin timidly asked, "W-what about me?"
Since there was already a Grand Caster, even if she were cut down, she couldn't possibly steal the Grand Saint Graph of the King of Mages.
"You're spared for now."
Souma looked at her with a disgusted expression, as if she were trash. "But remember, if you dare slack off when humanity faces a crisis again, don't blame me for cutting you down first!"
She fed on human dreams, essentially a parasite of mankind.
Yet—
When humanity faced calamity, this woman never stepped up to fight.
Only in the Seventh Singularity had she appeared once.
"No problem! I care deeply about humanity's survival!" Merlin readily agreed.
As a dream demon, she was a spiritual entity that parasitized humans, using them as a source of nourishment.
She lacked [self] and [humanity].
But as the child of a dream demon and a human, she had gained a fragment of humanity.
Still, she remained an alien disguised in human form.
Her existence was tied to humanity's.
As long as human history endured, she could live eternally.
So, protecting humanity wasn't a big deal.
Souma watched her leave with a carefree expression, his lips curling into a smirk. "Death may be pardoned, but punishment is inevitable. Right, Goldie?"
Hum~
A golden figure abruptly appeared on the empty ground beside them.
The oldest King of Heroes!
"Of course. How could she leave without paying a price?"
Gilgamesh smiled with sheer delight.
He retrieved a recording stored in his [Gate of Babylon]: "Let's release that earlier scene and publicly shame her!"
He had come solely for the spectacle.
The earlier encounter was just an appetizer—the upcoming public humiliation would mark the true beginning of the Flower Mage's social demise!
"Well done, my friend."
Souma grinned just as delightedly.
And then—
A video was promptly uploaded to the internet—
"Fulfilling the Promise! Nameless Forces Merlin to Drink Gender-Swapping Potion!"
Merlin.jpg
PS: Updated, updated, the cat isn't dead yet... Regarding the upcoming Lostbelt-related plot, what would you all like to see, dear readers? Feel free to leave comments—kitty will pick based on popularity~