Chapter 81: Chapter 81: The Curse Spirit
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Kasumigaoka Utaha and Nakano Ichika wore grim expressions.
Even though they already knew Roy was an artificial human and understood the low status of artificial humans in this world, witnessing so many beings with human-like appearances and intelligence lying there waiting for death was a different matter entirely. The sight was suffocating, almost making them faint on the spot.
Sure, humanity has no qualms about slaughtering chickens or pigs—because survival necessitates it. But how could anyone justify this level of cruelty toward artificial humans, beings as innocent as infants, capable of maturing into individuals indistinguishable from real humans? How could anyone commit such atrocities without hesitation?
Are all magi such morally bankrupt creatures?
Kasumigaoka Utaha once believed she understood the ways of magi, but now she realized just how naive she had been.
Even Tohsaka Rin's face darkened.
Thanks to Tokiomi's early demise, she hadn't been indoctrinated into the twisted ethics of magi. While her rational mind told her this scene was normal in their world, her gut churned in disgust.
If it were up to her, she'd ensure she never became a magus of that sort.
"Let's go. Roy's place is up ahead."
The only one unaffected was Illyasviel.
Her expression remained cold and indifferent, betraying not the slightest hint of emotion as she led the group forward.
Once again, the scenery around them morphed, blending and distorting like a surreal kaleidoscope.
In the realm of dreams, the dreamer's will shaped reality. They could arrive anywhere with a mere thought. Under connected dreams, even entering someone else's deepest memories was entirely possible.
When the surroundings stabilized, they found themselves in a hospital room.
It was a single-occupancy ward, meticulously clean, devoid of anything sharp. The room's sterility was unnerving, a stark reminder of the patient's condition.
On the bed lay a lone figure.
He had the same white hair as those artificial humans from earlier, a fragile body dressed in an oversized, translucent hospital gown. Through the thin fabric, one could see the healed scars crisscrossing his skin.
But what truly caught their attention was his eyes—or rather, the lack of them. A thick bandage wrapped around his head, robbing him of sight and trapping him in eternal darkness.
"Get out!"
The patient violently shoved away the blurry figure of a girl by his bedside, his voice raw and filled with venomous hatred.
The scene left Tohsaka Rin and the others in stunned silence.
There was no mistaking it—this hospital room was the core of the dream.
A dream constructed from Roy's past, centering on the man himself.
Which meant…
The broken, blindfolded artificial human, scarred and screaming on the hospital bed, was none other than Roy.
"So it's true… I guessed as much, but…"
Tohsaka Rin's chest tightened painfully. Watching Roy's feral outbursts and despairing state drove a dagger of guilt into her heart.
Kasumigaoka Utaha and Nakano Ichika, on the other hand, were too shocked to utter a word.
"My, my. Did I get careless? Looks like some rats have snuck in."
Suddenly, the hospital room blurred out of existence, vanishing into the void as though whisked away at light speed.
When the scene stabilized again, the group found themselves back on the desolate hilltop where they had first arrived.
Standing before them was a figure cloaked entirely in black, save for a pair of cold, glimmering eyes. In his hand, he held a claw-like blade, sharp and menacing.
Tohsaka Rin and Illyasviel immediately went on high alert. One pulled out her gems, while the other readied her silver threads.
"Tch. You picked the wrong time to test my patience," said the figure, his eyes narrowing into slits radiating palpable malice.
The killing intent swept over them like a tempest, setting every nerve in their bodies on edge.
Then, as abruptly as it appeared, the oppressive aura dissipated.
The black-cloaked man suddenly broke into a bright, unnervingly wide grin. His teeth shone stark white against his dark visage, but the malevolent air clinging to him only grew more suffocating.
"Ah, but maybe this is perfect timing," he said with a sinister chuckle.
With a snap of his fingers, a towering cross materialized atop the hill.
Bound to it, arms and legs spread wide, was a figure all too familiar to them.
"What's wrong? Still sulking because I turned you down?"
The man hanging from the cross sneered coldly, his tone laced with mockery. Though disheveled and restrained, Roy's sharp gaze pierced through the distance.
But then, his expression shifted as his eyes landed on the four girls below. His brows furrowed tightly.
They made it here… Is this Oranges' doing?
"Roy? Is it really you?" Tohsaka Rin gripped the gemstone in her hand tightly, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and trepidation.
If we rescue him, we can escape this nightmare!
"Is Roy all you see? Look next to the black one," Illyasviel chided sharply, narrowing her eyes at the figure beside the man they presumed to be Angra Mainyu.
It was grotesque—a floating mass of flesh, vaguely the size of a human torso.
The thing had no limbs, but its body was riddled with eyes. Most of them stared unblinkingly at the girls, while the remaining ones gazed toward Roy, their malicious intent as clear as day.
"That's… a curse spirit?" Tohsaka Rin gasped, her teeth grinding together.
Curse spirits had no place in Fuyuki City. The only reason one might appear was due to the chaos wrought by Zouken Matou's scheming.
This monstrosity must have followed him here!
"…What are you playing at?" Roy's voice cut through the tension, his tone cold and dangerously calm as his glare bore into Angra Mainyu.
"You've buried your malice far too deeply. What a waste," Angra Mainyu said with an exaggerated grin. "So, I'm doing you a favor—dragging it out into the open!"
The man's smile stretched unnaturally wide, his mocking gaze glinting with delight.
"I know you're resilient—three years of curses couldn't break you. But no matter how tough your mind is, there's always a limit. So let me ask you: ever experienced this?"
Angra Mainyu jabbed a finger toward the four girls.
"They've entered your dreams to save you. Must be nice, having people care so deeply. What if I tortured them? Killed them, maybe a hundred times over? Would that be enough to bring out the darkness lurking in your heart?"
"Oh, and this little guy here?" He pointed to the grotesque meatball hovering beside him.
"Ugly, I know, but don't underestimate it—it's a nightmare curse spirit. Killing people in their dreams? That's its specialty."
The girls paled as dread and panic surged through their hearts.
"Angra Mainyu… you bastard."
Roy's voice turned frigid, his face darkening with fury.
A searing wave of hatred welled up from deep within him, threatening to boil over into unrestrained violence.
"Ahahahaha! So, have you figured it out?" Angra Mainyu sneered, his tone dripping with mockery.
"If you don't sign my contract soon, I'll make sure they all die horribly. Your choice."
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