A person is in Type-Moon, goes out, and then picks up an Outer God girl?

Water, Wind, Flower: Chapter 102: The Conqueror's Last Conquest/Van Gogh Still Lies

This is a very long journey. Perhaps for Iskandar, crossing the land where he once galloped freely with the warriors is far farther and longer than the journey on the yellow sand of his heart.

But compared to the yellow sand being burned by the sun at this moment, that experience seemed particularly relaxing and comfortable...

The sun in the sky echoed with the "sun" on the ground. Iskandar could no longer feel anything happening in the outside world. Even his connection with Weber Velvet was cut off. At this moment, he seemed to have returned to the time after he fell ill and became extremely weak to everything around him.

Did he...lose?

The skin burned by the flames lost consciousness, and the sword held high above the flames flickered with light reflected by the flames. In this scene of spiritual embodiment, it was already a purgatory on earth.

Iskandar, who had lost his army, his followers, and his clothes, was about to die. His soul was burned out by the flames from Cthugha, which was enough to overcome everything and launch the most direct attack on Iskandar's soul core, but Duanmu Ye still had a little mercy.

Even so, it did not ignite its own flames at the moment of contact with Iskandar, destroying the inherent barrier from the inside, causing Iskandar's soul core to be directly burned to ashes, hastily ending this journey that was like the hero's last song.

It is different from the power of Cthugeya possessed by Yang Guifei. The power of Cthugeya, which has been diluted to the point of being almost invisible, is enough to burn down a country. At this moment, Duanmu Ye, who has completely inherited the power of Cthugeya, can still easily achieve the level of destruction to the barrier-type treasures.

But... he was unwilling to expand the power from the outer gods to that extent. The power of the ears emitted after possession was enough to cause the entire barrier to collapse. The threat of Iskandar was not enough for Duanmu Ye to end the battle by fighting with her like he did with Nyako.

At this moment, even if the flames of Cthugha were not further expanded, relying on those who voluntarily sacrificed their lives to create opportunities for Iskandar to get close to him, Iskandar's body had already reached its limit. The flames had burned out the magic power in his body. If it were not for his weak connection with Weber Velvet, Iskandar would probably have turned into a point of light and began to retreat.

However, just as Duanmu Ye was lamenting that part of the power of the outer gods was enough to make it difficult for ordinary people in this world to cope with it, Iskandar's hand suddenly moved very slightly.

Maybe it was the slight movement of the fingers, or perhaps it was the slight beating of the pulse in the wrist. In short, at this moment, looking at the remains of Iskandar which was only two steps away, Duanmu Ye, who noticed this, still did not take any action.

"My journey...will not stop just because of this!"

The scorching wind brought back the news, which were the words that Iskandar was silently repeating in his heart. He was completely burned beyond recognition at this moment, but he had broken through a certain limit and took further action.

The arm, which had become skinny due to loss of water, had a considerable amount of muscle content. Under the suddenly bulging muscles, the sword of Cyprus that was held high changed in an instant, from a short sword to something bigger and longer, and even the weight changed slightly.

As if relying on the weight of the Cyprus sword that had transformed into a heavy sword, the sword that was fixed above the head fell down quickly, but what was finally split was just the burning flame.

The skinny Iskandar did not stop the action brought about by this last burst of energy. The moment the greatsword fell to the ground, he raised his arm. The lightning flashing in his constantly throbbing muscles seemed to be some kind of blessing on him. Then, the punch he swung with all his strength, both in terms of power and speed, was exactly what Iskandar had in his victorious period.

But just this one punch, this one punch filled with power and speed, caused a burning sensation that tore through flesh and bone the moment it struck the humanoid sun's spiritual core. The closer it got to the flames, the faster the fist's disintegration accelerated, and this marked the beginning of Iskandar's entire body's disintegration...

The temperature of the flame was controlled at a level where no one would survive. Duanmu Ye watched indifferently as Iskandar collapsed before his eyes without taking any action from beginning to end. Even the sword hanging above his head deviated from him because of Iskandar's own reasons.

The king who conquered everything did not conquer the "sun", and he was unable to cross the "flame" and finally fell in the yellow sand of memory.

There was no suspense in this battle from the beginning. Duanmu Ye had many ways to deal with Iskandar's royal army, but in the end he did not choose those torturous tortures. Instead, he chose the way that best demonstrated his dominance and heroism as the stage for his exit.

With the collapse of the inherent barrier, Duanmu Ye, who had restrained the flames, returned to the form of the King in Yellow. Weber Velvet, who was originally very far away, as if the distance was deliberately created by Iskandar, also appeared not far away in the return illusion.

Rider was defeated... The disappearance of the traces of the Command Seals was the most tangible clue.

Weber Velvet, who had also endured the high temperature of the flames and was a little dehydrated, was trembling. Next to him was an empty game store, and there was even a water dispenser filled with pure water as sweet as nectar.

But here, in this deserted illusion created by Caster, Rider is nowhere to be found...

Duanmu Ye raised his hand. In order to prevent the possibility of another contact, using Wusum's ability to modify Weber's memory and erase everything about himself from his memory seemed to be the safest method.

However, at this moment, the severely dehydrated Weber did not choose to admit defeat or run to the water dispenser to replenish water. Instead, he walked forward, towards his own direction. This action made Duanmu Ye stop wanting to activate his ability.

For some reason, the Sword of Cyprus, still stuck in the ground, separated the two people. Weber, who was getting closer and closer, walked in front of the greatsword, and it seemed to respond to Weber's call and turned into a fairly normal Celtic-style longsword.

However, even though he could change the sword's appearance at will, the weight it was given did not change. The moment he practically dragged the sword before him, Waver Velvet raised it with both hands and stabbed it into the yellow-robed man's chest...

Not a drop of blood flowed out, nor was there the sound of anything breaking. Even the touch that passed through the sword body and the hilt into the hand did not give the feeling of hitting any real object.

Weber Velvet's face showed an expression of pain and grief, but he did not shed any tears. His body was no longer able to support any loss of water. He could only stand there quietly holding the hilt of the sword, sniffling silently.

The illusion constructed by his consciousness gradually dissipated, and Weber Velvet, who was standing in reality again, stumbled and fell to the ground. The exhaustion in his body made it impossible for him to stand up, but there was a hint of red in his tightly clenched hands.

Helped up by passersby, Waver Velvet looked towards another deserted street. There, there was a figure that only a magus like him could see, and there was also a figure that seemed only visible to him.

His lips moved slightly, as if conveying something, but then he lost consciousness.

"Will you definitely find a way to defeat me..."

Duanmu Ye repeated what Weber's moving lips wanted to convey. Although it was a bit abstract, Duanmu Ye still understood what he wanted to convey to him.

It was precisely because he chose the aggressive word "defeat" instead of "kill" in his final message that Duanmu Ye finally chose to preserve Weber Velvet's memory of him.

Just as a certain enthusiastic golden citizen whose name was unknown once said, Duanmu Ye turned around and responded to Weber Velvet as if talking to himself.

——If you can do it, come on!

The snow was still falling from the sky, making it hard to tell whether it was snow or something else.

Duanmu Ye stopped in front of the yellow house and took a deep breath. The moment he opened the door, his crying stopped abruptly.

"Duan...Duanmu!"

Van Gogh, holding water, came to the front first. Duanmu Ye smiled and touched her head, then looked at Tohsaka Tokiomi, who was found in a secret room that Baiyage accidentally broke into when leaving the Matou mansion.

Although he had thought of getting rid of Tōsaka Tokiomi at that time, Duanmu Ye, who might need to rely on some social connections to get something, finally chose to let Van Gogh take him back to the yellow house.

"Brother Duanmu! Thank you for saving father. Thank you so much, and Sister Fan Gao!"

Toosaka Rin wiped her red eyes from crying, while Van Gogh, who was being praised, moved around a little embarrassedly. Looking at Van Gogh who was so complacent, Duanmu Ye couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The yellow house, a Noble Phantasm, seems to depict the artist "Van Gogh," the image of the First Spiritual Base blessed by Hastur. Therefore, as long as Van Gogh stays within this house, his form will remain at the First Stage, but his inspiration and other aspects remain at the Third Stage...

Duanmu Ye smiled and ignored Toosaka Rin's thanks, instead looking at Toosaka Tokiomi who also felt a little grateful and scared.

"Mr. Tokiomi, I never thought our second meeting would be this way. Your daughter has been looking for you all over Fuyuki."

The threat in his words was self-evident. Previously, it was Tōsaka Tokiomi who threatened him, and now it was he who threatened Tōsaka Tokiomi.

However, even someone as proud as Tōsaka Tokiomi had to cast a grateful look towards Duanmu Ye at this moment.

"I know everything Lin promised you. When I finish my business, I will personally deliver Chen Nuo's things to you as a token of my gratitude!"

Even though Tōsaka Tokiomi's face showed the joy of regaining his freedom, the haggardness on his face could not be concealed by such joy.

He saw the soul of a person who should have died in the dark room, and even learned the truth about the magic of the Matou family from the mouth of that soul.

Every minute and every second that passed after knowing those things seemed like countless years. While memories of Sakura still being by his side emerged in his mind, there were also scenes of her suffering in the Matou family.

Is that the ghost of the Matou family, or someone who has returned from the dead? Tōsaka Tokiomi doesn't know...

However, at this moment, compared to the hellish imprisonment, the reunion with Rin made him feel more joyful, and he couldn't help but miss what the scene would be like if Sakura was still by his side.

Seeing that Tohsaka Tokiomi had promised, Duanmu Ye did not hesitate at all. He immediately opened the door and made a gesture of invitation.

"Now that everyone has been found, please allow Mr. Tokiomi and Ms. Rin to return home and enjoy the warmth. I still need to think about whether I need to continue staying in this troubled place..."

A person always has to find a suitable reason for his retreat. Regardless of whether he leaves or not, the promise made to the Tohsaka family must be exchanged for equivalent wealth.

What's more, Duanmu Ye didn't want Tohsaka Tokiomi to discover more secrets about this house...

With the departure of Tohsaka Tokiomi and Tohsaka Rin, Van Gogh returned to the moment when he was alone with Van Gogh. Van Gogh blinked in confusion, and was even unsure whether Duanmu Ye was looking at him, so he looked in all directions around him until Duanmu Ye held his head in his hands and fixed it in front of him.

"Rider has left the stage, now only Saber is left..."

"Huh? Huh?"

Van Gogh was a little slow to react for a moment. Duanmu Ye couldn't help but sigh as he watched this scene. Until now, he still didn't know what Van Gogh's wish was.

"What I mean is, as long as we get rid of Saber, we can get the Holy Grail. Even though it is largely contaminated, it will definitely be able to grant your wish as long as you want it!"

desire?

There was some clarity in Van Gogh's eyes. Looking at Duanmu Ye who was extremely serious, Van Gogh pursed his lips and responded after a moment's silence.

"That...that's great! If it's that universal wishing machine...I'm sure it would allow me to spend my ordinary time in the yellow house, enjoying coffee with my good friends, and when inspiration strikes, I'd have a creative time that's both exciting and normal!"

Van Gogh said this, speaking of what he got from the heart of the person in front of him, which seemed to be the answer that another "Van Gogh" would give.

But in fact, at this moment, she is still lying...

Water, Wind, Flower: Chapter 103: The Last Supper, the Last Conversation

The lights are dim, and it seems that everything has reached the final moment.

The food on the table was richer and more exquisite than before. It was clearly dinner, but it seemed to have the amount of food for lunch.

"This... is so rich... are there guests coming soon?"

Van Gogh spoke intermittently. She seemed a little uneasy sitting at the head seat at the table. She twisted her body and looked at Duanmu Ye who kept walking back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen. She lowered her head guiltily.

However, such escaping behavior had no effect on Van Gogh. The exquisite dishes that Duanmu Ye kept bringing out from the kitchen, even those emitting heat and fragrance, all rushed into his nostrils the moment he lowered his head.

She... lied...

Obviously, he did not tell Duanmu Ye the truth in his heart. Even Van Gogh guessed that Duanmu Ye must have noticed this, but Duanmu Ye still did not expose such a lie. He accepted it very naturally and prepared for this "Last Supper"...

"What are you talking about, Van Gogh? You're the only one I can trust here."

Duanmu Ye's voice came from the kitchen, but the word "trust" in it was a tormenting torture for Van Gogh at this moment.

She can no longer bear it...

The self-blame and regret brought about by the part about Clytie continued to ferment at this moment. If he had been more honest from the beginning, if he had not lied to Duanmu Ye from the beginning, would he not have to use another lie to smooth over the previous lie like now, repeating it over and over again... endlessly...

"No......."

However, before Van Gogh could finish his explanation, Duanmu Ye's voice came over, continuing with the unfinished words, interrupting her attempt to defend herself in her inner struggle.

"Wait a moment, Van Gogh. If you're hungry, you can eat first. I'll be ready soon!"

Van Gogh lowered his head, pursing his lips. The pain of her trying to bite her lower lip with her teeth brought clarity back to her thoughts. The memory of Paul Gauguin, a friend whom Van Gogh would never forget, overshadowed Clutie's self-loathing in the pain. At that time, Van Gogh and his friend also shared dinner in the house, and they were in such harmony and talked about everything...

But in the end... in the end... it was because of my own faults that Paul Gauguin left. Even though I (Van Gogh) tried my best to keep him, in the end, he only left with the words "If I get sick again, I will be in danger" and left...

The scene at this moment overlaps with the memory of that time, as if the beauty of this moment will also be like the memory that does not actually belong to her, and will be shattered like a dream bubble in the near future and disappear without a trace.

Van Gogh's expression was uncertain. Although she was able to act in the most normal way at the beginning in the Yellow House, and even after returning with Tōsaka Tokiomi, when Duanmu Ye went to fight Rider, she actually drew a self-portrait for herself. She just didn't know how to start, and now she doesn't know how to start...

Looking up, he found that Duanmu Ye had sat down opposite him without him noticing. He was also writing furiously with his head down, not even looking at him, not noticing the emotions that he had just inadvertently revealed.

Van Gogh blinked. With Saber now the only one left in the entire Holy Grail War, the Holy Grail seemed within reach. If Duanmu Ye hadn't chosen to return to the yellow house and choose to share this final supper with him after bidding farewell to Tokiomi and his daughter...

Van Gogh imagined that Duanmu Ye would probably choose to send an invitation to Saber to fight, complete the final battle, and then personally win the final prize, and then make his desired wish to the Holy Grail...

However, he still came back, not only to see off Tokiomi and his daughter, and not only to enjoy these "real" dishes with himself in the last time, but also to write something in this notebook, to settle Tokiomi and his daughter, and to have dinner with himself.

She had seen Duanmu Ye holding this notebook many times before, but it was the first time Van Gogh had seen it being carried out so openly.

Therefore, she couldn't help but look up in the direction of Duanmu Ye, and opened her mouth slightly, wanting to ask him what he was writing.

However, this action only allowed him to open his mouth slightly. The question he had said to himself dozens of times in his mind did not come as expected.

I can't say it... I can't say it no matter what...

Van Gogh's act of deceiving the person in front of him made him unable to forgive himself. Such a wish was too selfish and too cruel. At least for Duanmu Ye, who had always trusted him, if he told him such a wish, he would definitely fall into the same situation as himself!

Thinking this way, Van Gogh felt that he was quite selfish for having such thoughts. After all, wanting to be killed by Duanmu Ye himself...

She couldn't speak anyway...

"Is that what you wanted to ask?"

Duanmu Ye's voice came to his ears. He looked up and saw him looking at himself with a notebook in his hand, and in his hand he was holding up the contents of his notes.

The contents written in ballpoint pen were clearly visible on the paper. Most of them were about his experiences and insights from the Holy Grail War, and even some information about the Servants he had defeated long ago and unexpected situations that might occur.

Van Gogh was puzzled. He had become one of the only two people who had entered the final match in this Holy Grail War. Why did he still need to record the information of these Servants and Masters who had become his defeated opponents?

As if he had noticed Van Gogh's puzzled expression, Duanmu Ye just chuckled and put the notes in his hand on the table.

"The rituals of the Holy Grail War aren't limited to this one place. I can probably guess why Yog-Sothoth took my soul instead of something else. The "he" he mentioned probably refers to some of his favored people in this world, namely Abigail."

As Duanmu Ye spoke, the image of the blonde girl holding the doll subconsciously appeared in Van Gogh's mind. But it would be more reasonable to say that it was not subconscious, but that after hearing such words, the image of the girl would inevitably appear in his mind.

'That girl...is her name Abigail?'

Van Gogh did not know Abigail and had never even heard of her.

Despite this, when she thought of this name and when the girl's face appeared in her mind, she always felt a little bit of familiarity...but this familiarity seemed to come from other reasons?

But she did not interrupt Duanmu Ye because of such doubts, because the moment she walked out of the church, she had already discovered that something was missing in Duanmu Ye's body, making him no longer himself, but some other individual.

Seeing this, Duanmu Ye paused deliberately and responded to Van Gogh with a smile, then turned over the page where the ink had just dried, on which were written many names marked "Holy Grail War".

"Tokyo Holy Grail War...Fuyuki Holy Grail War...Yukihara City Holy Grail War...Are there so many Holy Grail Wars?!"

Van Gogh blinked his eyes while muttering to himself, and Duanmu Ye's explanation also followed.

"As an Outer God who possesses all knowledge and controls space and time, Yog-Sothoth didn't use me to do the same thing as Nya Rhathotep. Therefore, it can be inferred that the reason he took my soul was probably to allow me to travel to another place like Alaya's laborer, so that I could contact Abigail."

Duanmu Ye was not sure whether his guess was correct. After all, Yog-Sothoth's purpose and motives were too difficult to guess. It could even be said that he had known that he would try to figure out his purpose and motives. That was why he only responded to some overly restrained questions during the transaction at that time and knew nothing about the rest.

Therefore, Duanmu Ye couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile on his face.