Magician in Type-Moon

Page 583

Crow, critically injured and on the verge of death, discovers another path to survival in his desperate situation with his magical eyes that can see through spatial rifts—a spatial rift unknown to others.

"However, Kuro's attempt to escape to the ground failed. That's right, he went in the opposite direction."

Matou Pond points downwards.

Kuro's survival instinct drove him to find a way back to the surface, but the crack he discovered did not point upwards, but... downwards!

Matou Ike's fingers, like the pointer of fate, pointed firmly to the unfathomable darkness beneath her feet.

"He probably entered the Fairy Realm through the rift leading to the Hollow of Nothingness."

The conclusion was like a thunderclap: the dying Kuro fell into the rift leading to the Void Cave, and finally arrived at a realm even deeper and more forbidden than the ancient heart of the Spirit Tomb Albion's core—the Fairy Realm!

Fairyland.

The deepest part of Albion, the Tomb of the Dead. In the area deeper beneath this ancient heart.

The name itself exudes a captivating mystery and danger. It is the abyss of planetary memory, the final place where mysteries are deposited, an absolutely forbidden realm that even the most learned magicians have only heard of but never seen.

“I don’t know what actually happened there.” Matou Ike frankly admitted the boundaries of knowledge. “The mystery caused by fairies is still an unknown area for magicians.”

The essence of the Fairy Realm, the laws governing its operation, and the "residents" inhabiting it are all far beyond the comprehension of modern magicians; they are pure, unanalyzable "unknowns."

“However, there are some things I do know.” He changed the subject, revealing the foundation of his reasoning: “For example, sometimes disappearances transcend time and region.”

Sometimes, disappearance transcends time and region.

Matou Ike did indeed say that.

He reiterated this core concept—that the phenomenon of disappearance has the characteristic of spacetime distortion.

During a conversation with the doctor who had previously hidden Hartley, he told Yvette a story in the examination room.

"There seems to be a story in the Far East called Urashima Taro, which is a typical example of a disappearing spirit. The abducted humans were taken to a place in a different era and location."

He recounted an example he had told Yvette: Urashima Taro was taken to the Dragon Palace, and when he returned to the human world, a hundred years had passed. This is a classic case of "disappearance" causing a temporal and spatial distortion.

Then, he also said this during his exploration of Albion.

He emphasized the inherent characteristics of Albion, the Tomb of the Dead—that the continuity of time and space is inherently fragile and easily distorted here, as elusive as a mist.

“However, this place is different.” Matou Ike’s gaze was like a sharp blade, fixed on the silent Heartless across from him.

"Standing here are two magicians."

The tension in the air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Matou Ike spoke slowly, her voice calm yet tinged with coldness:

"By the way, I should add that it wasn't necessarily Kuro who discovered the rift leading to the Fairy Realm. Since you, 'Hartles,' were once Kuro, you should be able to find this rift on your own using the same ability. After all, you once crossed a rift, so finding it shouldn't be difficult for you."

He paused, his eyes flickering:

"Ten years ago, Kuro Adashino, who was devoured by that beast, was transported to thirty years ago through divine invisibility. All the strange changes you experienced during this divine invisibility are beyond my comprehension."

At what point did you remember everything? Was it when you called yourself Hartres? Or when you met with Kuro, who was your past self?

No, could it be when Kuro was betrayed by his comrades and nearly lost his life?

Hartres let out a soft sigh, seemingly unsurprised by Matou Ike's speculation.

"...It's amazing you were able to uncover the truth." His tone carried a hint of self-deprecation. "Kuro Adashino = Dr. Hartless."

He smiled slightly, a dark glint in his eyes, "A formula is completed here, as if it were a predetermined circle from a distant past."

Matou Ike did not respond immediately, but instead looked at him quietly, his eyes revealing a hint of contemplation.

"Time travel is the realm of 'magic.' Although it cannot be achieved with our magic, it does exist as a mystery."

He nodded slightly. "Among the five major 'magic' arts, there is indeed magic that can achieve this effect."

“Hmm.” Hartres seemed hesitant for a moment, but quickly spoke up, “Isn’t that just a replay of the past?”

Matou Ike raised an eyebrow slightly, indicating her agreement: "Yes. The recurrence of the past is almost like a cyclical history."

However, Matou Ike did not stop; he continued:

"However, I saw a possibility in that process. Because in that reenactment, I found traces of several other studies on your paper, besides the spell that brought the god Ikenda back to life."

His eyes sharpened slightly. "Unfortunately, it wasn't until I entered this labyrinth that I realized the true meaning behind all of this."

Hartres remained silent for a moment, seemingly pondering the deeper meaning behind Matouchi's words.

Then, a calm smile appeared on his face, as if he had foreseen this problem.

“…I see.” His tone was flat, with a hint of coldness.

"Actually, I gave up that research a long time ago. Traveling through time by observing the past and performing a reverse summoning of spirit particles is theoretically feasible."

He gently spread his hands, his eyes vacant.

"However, in order to keep the time travel stable, at least the Atlas Institute needs to provide full assistance, as well as the secret techniques of the Clock Tower's prestigious lineage. Hehehe, just this condition alone is almost impossible to achieve."

He paused, a meaningful glint flashing in his eyes:

"Furthermore, the astronomical costs required to build new facilities and conduct experiments are goals that can only be achieved by winning the Holy Grail War. And even if all that is done, there probably won't be many humans with the ability to travel through time."

Matou Ike's eyes did not waver; he listened carefully to every word Hartres said.

Hartres's words carried a calm rationality, as if he had already foreseen this historical development.

Every word he uttered would surely sound earth-shattering to a true magician.

"Ike Matou asked softly."

"So, you transferred this research?"

Chapter 619 Anomaly (4k)

"...You know a lot. Is it from that Holy Grail War?"

Hartres lifted his gaze from the ground and turned to Matou Ike in front of him. His voice was low, carrying a hint of inquiry, as well as a subtle sense of having his secret exposed.

As a behind-the-scenes observer or "voyeur" of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Chaldea's unexpected intervention was naturally within his field of vision.

Therefore, he naturally speculated that Matou Ike's knowledge of certain secrets stemmed from that chaotic war.

Faced with Hartres's speculation, Matou Ike neither confirmed nor denied it, responding only with a slight nod, as if the answer were unimportant.

His gaze remained fixed on the churning ball of light ahead, and he posed another, more crucial question:

"...So you already found out, didn't you? Ten years ago, when you sent another version of yourself into the Fairy Realm, that was when the circle was completed."

This statement directly refers to Hartres's key action ten years ago—sending an avatar named "Kuro" into the mysterious fairy realm.

“That’s right. About ten years ago, after I sent Kuro into the Fairy Realm, I did investigate it.”

Hartres did not deny it. As the initiator of the operation, it was impossible for him not to conduct a preliminary investigation of that alien land.

He admitted it quite readily, as if it were simply a natural part of the plan.

"Then what did you find?"

Matou Ike's tone was calm, yet it carried an air of unquestionable inquiry.

"Nothing much, just some fairies, a sea of ​​flowers, a tall tower, and the legendary magician Merlin Ambrose."

Hartles's description sounds like a fantastical travelogue: mysterious creatures, dreamlike scenery, symbolic architecture, and most importantly—an encounter with the legendary magician, Merlin Ambrose.

His shrug was casual, as if it were just a routine visit.

"Tsk, did he say anything to you?"

Matou Ike made a slight clicking sound, his lips twitching, revealing an expression that was a mixture of amusement and "I knew it."

He was clearly more interested in the content of the conversation between Merlin and Hartres.

"We just chatted about magic-related things, and I learned quite a bit from him."

Hartley readily admitted that he benefited greatly. That meeting with the ancient magician was a valuable academic exchange for him, which greatly enhanced his understanding and mastery of both modern magic and ancient magic.

"Is it just about magic? Then he's holding back a bit."

Upon hearing this, Matou Ike's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

A sense of confusion did arise in Hartrace's heart. The intellectual impact and inspiration from that meeting were real, and his improvement in the field of magic was a leap forward.

Based on his understanding and feelings at the time, he did not realize that Merlin had deliberately concealed or held back anything.

"That great magician Merlin has a title: the Sword Saint of Great Britain."

The brief bewilderment that had appeared on Hartres's face due to the title of "Sword Saint of Great Britain" had not yet completely faded when Matouchi had already suppressed the faint mischievousness and returned to his usual calm.

His voice was clear and direct, getting to the heart of the matter:

"Stop joking, so have you noticed anything unusual there?"

"abnormal?"

Hartres paused slightly, as if pulled back from his contemplation of Merlin's other side. He subconsciously touched his chin, his fingertips seemingly combing through fragments of memories from ten years ago.

Hartres stroked his chin, recalling his experience from ten years ago.

"There haven't been many discoveries. Although Hartres has been to the Fairy Realm twice, this is only my first time there."

He was naturally referring to the two entries of his clone "Kuro" and his first personal visit by his main consciousness. As a newcomer, everything he saw and heard was unfamiliar, and he lacked a benchmark for comparison.

"Is there no reference group...?" Matou Ike nodded.

Matou Ike immediately understood what Hartres meant.

Stepping into a completely unknown realm with vastly different laws—the Fairy Realm—without any prior knowledge or a "reference set" for comparison, all observed phenomena—

No matter how strange it may be, it can only be categorized as the "normal" state of that field.

This is the limitation of cognition, but also the inevitable starting point for exploring the unknown.

"However, if I had to point out something, there is indeed one point worth noting—"

Hartres abruptly changed the subject, as if he had remembered something. He wasn't displeased by Matou Ike's questioning; on the contrary, he seemed happy to share an important observation, his tone carrying a hint of inquisitive interest.

Hartles patiently recounted his gains from the Fairy Realm to Matou Ike.

"—I discovered another passage in the Fairy Realm."

"Another route?" Matou Ike turned his gaze to Hartres.