Though Morpheus had decided to save this world and eliminate the Umbrella Corporation, he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to gain something in return.
"I'm open to cooperation, but what's Alaya offering me?"
Emiya blinked. "???"
Are you serious? I'm asking you to save humanity, and you're asking for a reward?
Morpheus grinned. "You've probably noticed, but I'm not human. Even if humanity falls, it poses no threat to me."
"If Alaya wants me to save the world and humanity, fine—but you can't expect me to do it for nothing."
Emiya glanced subtly at Saeko. "You may not be human, but… humanity's destruction wouldn't benefit you either, would it?"
Morpheus nodded, unfazed. "True enough. But I could save a portion of humanity during its collapse and use them to start a new civilization."
"Would Alaya be okay with that outcome?"
As if Alaya would accept that. If she could, she wouldn't have sent Emiya here in the first place.
Emiya's mind raced, then he nodded. "I understand. I'll relay this to Alaya."
It was Alaya who'd be footing the bill, not him—a mere errand boy.
Seeing Emiya's compliance, Morpheus nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. Tell Alaya my terms. If she wants my help, she'll give me a few Heroic Spirits. I want to pick them myself, got it?"
Emiya nodded.
He was definitely going to tell Alaya this.
Because he couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she heard.
Take that for overworking me.
Now someone was finally squeezing her.
He was thrilled… no, furious.
With that, Emiya left.
Saeko watched his figure vanish from sight before asking, "My lord, who was that man?"
"A Heroic Spirit."
"A Heroic Spirit?"
"Exactly. Heroic Spirits are beings who, through their great deeds, became legends and objects of faith after death. Heroes like King Arthur, Richard the Lionheart, Solomon, Minamoto no Raikou, Miyamoto Musashi, and others—they're all Heroic Spirits."
Morpheus explained slowly, "After death, they enter the Throne of Heroes, becoming Alaya's collection."
A glint of surprise flashed in Saeko's eyes. "So that man was a historical hero? Who was he, really?"
"His name is Emiya Shirou."
Saeko looked puzzled. She'd never heard of an Emiya Shirou in history.
Morpheus reached out, smoothing the crease between her brows. "Don't overthink it. That guy's not an ancient hero. The Throne of Heroes exists outside the timeline, unaffected by past or future."
"So, the Heroic Spirits in the Throne aren't just past heroes—they include future ones too."
"The Emiya Shirou you saw is still alive in this era."
"The one you met is from the future, after his death, turned into a Heroic Spirit and drafted by Alaya to carry out missions in this timeline."
Saeko was speechless.
Good grief, this world's waters ran deep.
A Throne of Heroes outside the timeline, with heroes from the future returning to the present.
And yet, in the first loop, they failed to stop Umbrella.
Wasn't Umbrella just too powerful?
That shameless corporation was truly humanity's enemy. She hoped Alaya would quickly strike a deal with Lord Morpheus to wipe out this blight on mankind.
Taking a deep breath, Saeko looked up. "Lord Morpheus, what do we do next?"
Morpheus smiled. "Go home. Sleep."
"..."
"Staying up late is bad for a woman's skin, Saeko. It's a lady's worst enemy."
"..."
That made so much sense she didn't know how to argue.
So, the two went home to sleep.
No misunderstandings here—they each returned to their own homes.
Morpheus had only just met Saeko today. He wasn't so desperate as to make a move on her already.
He wasn't some lust-driven fiend.
But what Morpheus didn't expect was that, later that night, as he slept, Alaya sent a request for communication.
Morpheus was mildly surprised, though not entirely.
He just hadn't expected Alaya to be this eager. He agreed to her request.
In an instant, a powerful consciousness entered his dream.
"Sit."
Morpheus raised a hand, and the dreamscape transformed into a grand palace. He sat atop a throne at its heart, gazing down at the potent consciousness that had just entered.
The Counter Force, Alaya.
Upon entering Morpheus's dream, Alaya took the form of a cute little girl.
This wasn't Alaya's true form—Alaya had no true form. She was a Counter Force, lacking any concrete image.
The little girl appearance was merely Morpheus's subconscious at work.
He'd read plenty of fanworks that depicted Alaya as a little girl.
So, in his dream, Alaya became one.
But her appearance was just a facade.
Look closely, and her form seemed to shift—now an old man, now a child, a saint, a prisoner.
Yet, focus again, and she remained that same little girl.
It was strangely fascinating.
Alaya looked up, her emotionless eyes meeting Morpheus's. As a Counter Force, her gaze held no feeling, cold as a machine.
"First meeting, Alaya," Morpheus said, a smile curling his lips.
Alaya spoke, "I've heard your demands from Emiya. If you help me eliminate the Umbrella Corporation, I can give you a few Heroic Spirits."
"How many?"
"Three."
"Too few," Morpheus said without hesitation. "I want ten."
"Too many," Alaya countered, shaking her head. "Four at most."
And so, a Dimension Lord and the Counter Force of humanity began haggling in Morpheus's dream, like street vendors bartering over goods.
After a heated back-and-forth, compromises were made.
They reached an agreement.
Morpheus would help Alaya dismantle Umbrella, neutralize all their viruses, and save humanity.
In return, Alaya would grant Morpheus five Heroic Spirits.
And those Spirits would no longer be under Alaya's control.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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