Shinji had a dream.
In his dream, he saw a country where the sky was always covered by haze.
No, it was not just a haze, but a deeper monotony, as if the whole world had only three colors: pure white, deep black, and the ambiguous gray in between, with gradual changes in layers and alternating shades.
This is the kingdom of shadows, a kingdom that does not belong to living beings, and a veritable land of demons.
In this monotonous and depressing country, that person is the only color and the only master.
She is the true queen of this country, the demonic realm outside this world, and the gatekeeper of the demonic realm.
The long years have not left any traces on her body, but have only made her unique temperament more natural and impeccable.
Those wise eyes penetrated the gray haze in the sky, the shadows on the ground, and the tall city walls, and met the gaze that transcended time and space.
Memories, information, and many deeper things are transmitted between this invisible connection.
In an instant, Shinji saw a lot, a thousand years in one glance.
Many lives—
In the past, many lives were taken away, whether they were human, undead, or gods.
Confronted countless beings and then slaughtered them all.
Fight, fight, fight.
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.
This body soaked in the blood of the enemy became eternal.
No more aging.
Will not die.
It becomes "something" that exists forever.
How much time has passed since I first took the gun? I can no longer remember. No, this body that has been guarding the "door" here has gained the wisdom of the abyss and can measure time accurately.
But I don’t want to know it this way.
It's not depression. It's not giving up.
Are you regretting it
have no idea.
That may be the case, but it is impossible to say for sure.
At least the feelings that I didn't realize when I was killing many monsters and teaching the warriors of Ulster now exist in my heart.
Ah, that’s true. I really taught a lot of warriors in the past.
At the end of infinite time, everything will die and disappear.
In the memory that was maintained by deliberately becoming indifferent, only one person, only the posture of a man can still be clearly seen.
Red pupils -
When the light in that person's eyes flashes through your mind, your heart will inexplicably soften.
Even this body, which has become eternal and can no longer undergo any changes, can feel the warmth.
Hope to see him again
I can assert that such a desire does not exist.
So what is it, if I have to say it, it is that I hope to be—
Kill.
I hope to face death as a human being.
However, does that person, that person who has become a heroic spirit, that being who has lost the glory of life, still have the ability to kill himself, whom even God can kill
As a heroic spirit that was frozen in time after death
No matter what, this is the only hope, the only hope he knows of, and he is the only one among the many warriors who can possibly meet his expectations.
It should have been like this, it should have been like this. I should have held on to a faint hope and quietly waited for the world to end together.
However, his predetermined fate seemed to have shifted a little bit. The red pupils in the heart of a new life were tinged with blue at some point.
An age when mystery fades, new encounters and unknown possibilities emerge.
At the end of the dream, the queen sitting on the throne took off the veil on her face.
This was the first time Shinji saw her face, the face that lit up this land of shadows and even eclipsed the legendary goddess. Her lips, which were always pursed downward, opened and closed gently with a hint of melancholy and sexiness, sending an extremely familiar voice to Shinji's heart.
Do you know what the Shadow Kingdom is like
Just as the name suggests.
The devil's realm is filled with shadows everywhere, a dark place where sunlight never penetrates, and that is the world of death.
Looking back, Cu Chulainn's arrival was really ridiculous.
Look, isn’t that guy the Son of the Sun
... ...
In the Kingdom of Shadows, there are seven walls.
No, that's not meant literally.
It's like a symbol that shows a truth that you also know.
In other words, "the dead will never be resurrected", and the residents of the Shadow Kingdom will never transcend the walls and appear on the ground.
It should be so.
This is common sense.
But I, the guardian of common sense in the Shadow Kingdom, violated this common sense.
I hope that one day you can successfully protect the common sense of the world and send me back to this world in a handsome way.
My Master.
The shadows in front of my eyes gradually faded away, the scenery of the Shadow Kingdom began to become hazy, and darkness once again occupied my vision.
A faint light cut through the endless darkness. This was not the light of a dream, but real sunlight.
Shinji opened his eyes and woke up from his sleep.
I rubbed the corners of my eyes as usual, but found that they were wet, extending along my cheeks to my chin.
Is this... tears
Did I cry? In my sleep, in my dreams.
That dream...
So that’s how it is. Did I see the experience of the master
Was she fighting a monster like that alone
Had she been looking at that dreary, depressing land of the dead
Is it so painful to be immortal and eternal
Master.
Scathach.
you...
you...
you...
With a "swish" sound, the curtains in the room were pulled open, and the instantaneous alternation of light and darkness diluted the sadness in Shinji's heart.
In front of the window, next to the tea table, Scathach, dressed at home in a turtleneck sweater and cotton pants, supported her chin with her hand and looked at Shinji's face quietly.
The sunlight that brings life to all things not only did not exclude the queen who lived in the land of the dead, but made her even more dazzling.
"Master." Shinji's voice contained unprecedented emotion. The dream made him see a lot.
"I knocked on the door, but you didn't hear me." Scathach's expression was still so calm, as if nothing had happened. "Hurry up and get up. Sakura is waiting for you to have breakfast."
"Um."
Shinji turned over and got out of bed, but when his feet touched the ground, his movements stopped. His eyes were fixed on Scathach's face, which was clean and without any decoration.
"Master, your veil?"
"Why, do you care about this?" Scathach's left hand clenched out of thin air, and a black veil created by magic appeared in her hand.
"Of course I care." Shinji nodded repeatedly, "It would be best if you don't wear a veil in the future."
"You really don't want me to hide my face." Scathach sighed, "It's not something interesting... Could it be that you like this look?"
"Of course, I have wanted to tell my master for a long time, but I just didn't know how to start. It's a pity to hide such a beautiful face."
Hearing Shinji's praise, Scathach was neither shy like an ordinary girl, nor did she show happiness or dissatisfaction. She just put away her veil and said, "You can save these words for other girls. Now, get up and eat."
Shinji still didn't leave the bed. He took a deep breath, as if he had made some kind of decision.
"Master, I want to fulfill your wish. I don't know how far I can go in the end, and I don't know if I can reach the heights of those brothers you taught, but I will try to become stronger and try to find a way to kill you. So, can you also have a little expectation of me?"
That serious expression and solemn attitude only appeared when he made the contract with Yustisa.
At this moment, Shinji forgot that Scathach came to this world in order to wish for death from the Holy Grail. Perhaps he subconsciously believed that the Holy Grail could not kill the queen who existed outside the world.
He, Shinji Matou, wanted her, Scathach, to be freed from eternal loneliness.
The corners of Scathach's mouth, which were always bent downward, finally curled up, and finally formed an incomparably stunning arc.
"Don't make me wait until the world ends."
PS: Five silver spearman flags are presented, the spiritual base comes again, the master is broken, and flowers are scattered.
PS2: There is a narration error in the previous chapter. The Black Key is the church's exorcism equipment, which is much more effective against spirits than physical objects. However, the master said that if Justisa is fine, then it is fine, and it will not affect Shinji's decision. Thanks to the book friend Xiaomo for reminding me, this error has been corrected.