Chapter 306: Merlin's Romance Lecture
"Eh?"
"That's why I just said: go and 'conquer' them," Merlin repeated.
"Eh-ehh?!"
"They became like this because they love you, Shirou. So, you just have to change them back."
"That's not right! You're the one who provoked them in the first place!"
"But when I practiced with them, I used your account, Shirou. As long as they used that account to learn about you, all they saw was your information and your photos. This was already proven by Kasumigaoka Utaha-chan's reaction earlier; they love your appearance far more than me, who is nothing but a phantom in this world," Merlin said, spreading his hands.
"But our personalities are worlds apart! They'll notice the difference immediately, won't they?" Shirou argued, fighting his corner.
"No, humans are inherently contradictory creatures. Their attitudes in reality versus the internet are naturally different. Even a reckless internet troll might be a decent person who never swears in real life. Ultimately, across a screen, you have no idea who is on the other side. A delicate, flirtatious woman might be a man in disguise—or might not even be human at all. Who said a net idol has to be a girl? There are people who make a hobby out of deceiving shut-ins just for the fun of it, you know," Merlin said with a mischievous smirk.
"That's... surprisingly persuasive..." Shirou found himself unable to refute it. In the face of such facts, common sense felt powerless.
Merlin smiled and patted the boy on the shoulder, comforting him:
"In fact, even in real life, the personalities and behaviors most people display are not from the heart, but compromises made after weighing pros and cons. Everyone wants others to see their good side, keeping their other side buried deep within. It's what you call a 'persona.' For example, in front of a teacher, one wants to be a well-behaved student. In front of parents, a trustworthy child who might get a bit more allowance. In front of friends, a loyal and kind sibling. Those who care only for their own thoughts are either suffering from Eighth-Grader Syndrome or are delusional. On the internet, people can worship freedom, flaunt their individuality, and carry out their convictions. But in reality, no one wants to be seen as a hopeless, alienated freak."
"I suppose..." Shirou nodded. When he saw an acquaintance doing something wrong, he couldn't help but lecture them, but the result was often being mocked as an "old nag" or simply being disliked.
Of course, he wanted to stick to what he believed was right, but if the other person wouldn't listen and instead developed a rebellious attitude, it would be counterproductive. Thus, if it wasn't someone he fully trusted, he wouldn't interfere too much.
It is very easy to speak ill of others behind their backs or judge their flaws. But if one's own flaws are pointed out, the feeling is never pleasant; most people's first reaction is resistance. They feel the other person is impolite or inconsiderate, causing them to lose face. This leads to shame turning into anger, making the relationship worse—some might even want to kill the other person.
Merlin looked at the boy and said:
"Shirou, even without being a witch, there are many people who do cruel things because of love. Even in the time of King Arthur, there was Morgan le Fay, Iseult of the White Hands, and the married women Lancelot provoked. Once humans are moved by true emotion, they become incredibly fragile and sensitive. Roland, the Holy Sword user of France, went mad and ran naked under the moon because he was rejected. Even that idiot Mordred went berserk because she couldn't get love.
I believe everyone has a fragile spot in their heart to some degree. If they seem normal, it's just because they haven't encountered something that touches their core yet."
Shirou nodded in agreement with Merlin's statement. Even though he was living his second life, he sometimes still dreamed of the fire from his childhood and woke up in a cold sweat. This wasn't a bleeding cut or scrape that would heal quickly, nor was it something that the company of family or the understanding of friends could completely resolve. This kind of spiritual trauma was incurable; it had fused with his blood and was branded into the depths of his soul. As a nightmare, it would accompany him for life; even reincarnation couldn't make him laugh it off. The warmth of family and friendship only allowed him to feel safe after waking, helping him recover from the depression and panic more quickly—nothing more.
"Stop overthinking! Shirou, do you want to stay here forever waiting for the witch to complete her schemes and curses, or do you want to leave this den of trouble quickly?" Merlin waved his hand, bringing the discussion to a close. "For all we know, among these girls, there might be someone looking for 'Medea-style' revenge. 'If I can't have it, no one can,' and all that. I don't understand true human thoughts, so it's a possibility..."
"..." Shirou had no choice but to compromise and make the wise decision.
If there really were berserk yandere girls in this world, truly like Medea, and they were currently in a state blinded by rage, it would be extremely dangerous.
Medea was a woman whose obsession with love was extraordinary. For the man she loved, she could give up her status as a princess and her wealth to elope with Jason. For love, she stole her father's precious Golden Fleece. To escape the pursuit of her father's army, she personally lured her own brother into an ambush to be killed, leaving the pursuers leaderless and unable to follow. For love, she chose to sever ties with her blood relatives and was abandoned by everyone.
But facing a woman who loved so thoroughly, even the person being loved would feel fear.
When Jason and Medea returned to his country and brought back the Golden Fleece, the King was supposed to return the throne to Jason as promised—it was originally Jason's father's kingdom, usurped by his brother. The King had agreed that if Jason brought back the Fleece, he would return the state. But the King broke his word and refused to step down, and Jason had no way to force him.
So Medea, for Jason's sake, created a magical cauldron that could rejuvenate living things by boiling them. She specifically let the King's children see it and gave it to them. Consequently, the King's "filial" children excitedly chopped the sleeping King into mincemeat and threw him into the pot, where he was boiled into a pulp.
Jason finally got the throne as he wished and had several children with Medea. But as time passed, the past favors were forgotten. Jason began to grow tired of Medea and set his sights on the only daughter of a neighboring old King—a pampered young princess. The old King wanted a fine son-in-law to inherit his lands; by getting the princess, Jason would gain both the woman and the wealth.
Thus, to marry the princess, Jason prepared to divorce Medea, promising her and the children alimony. No matter how Medea wept and pleaded, he refused to turn back.
Finally, Medea agreed to the conditions and sent the princess a magnificent golden robe. Seeing the rare and beautiful garment, the princess gladly accepted and put it on immediately. In reality, it was soaked in a lethal poison. The princess immediately began foaming at the mouth, and her body burst into flames, burning her flesh into charred remains. The old King rushed over and tearfully embraced his dead daughter, only to die himself from touching the poison.
Jason thus became the murderer of a King and a princess.
But even that was not enough. The grieving and desperate Medea found Jason and, right before his eyes, killed her own children that she had borne with him. Then, under Jason's wide-eyed gaze, she boarded a summoned dragon chariot and departed through the sky.
A witch wounded by love is crazy enough to kill her own children, let alone anyone else.
In a Holy Grail War, a Caster is just one of several troublesome opponents, but in daily life, being targeted by such a woman is far scarier than any powerful Servant. Because whether it's the King of Heroes or Cu Chulainn, they are heroes with pride who won't deliberately target one's family. But a witch seeking revenge will make you wish you were dead.
Poisons, curses, deceptions—you'd have to suspect every gift you received. You'd even have to be wary of your own family and friends, as they might be bewitched by her. A witch's personality is fickle and unpredictable; even if she makes peace with you, it might just be the next step in her scheme.
A witch with no human sense of right and wrong stops at nothing. She is impossible to guard against, and being a world-class sage with vast knowledge, she can easily find your weakness. That is the true terror of a witch.
This was likely the kind of monster they were facing, and Merlin was only here as a spiritual entity; the physical body being used was Shirou's own.
"Since you understand, get moving. I'll use illusions to assist you, changing the environment and atmosphere," Merlin pushed Shirou, sending him from the mental world back to reality.
"Wait, how exactly am I supposed to do this?" Shirou asked with a look of total confusion.
"Love is enough. Love can change everything; love can save the world. A small matter like a romantic grievance is simple," Merlin said. With a casual flick of his hand, vines grew from the ground and interlaced to form a vine rocking chair. He lay back on it and waved his hand dismissively.
"Why do I feel like you should be the one handled instead of the witch?" Shirou said, fuming internally.
Merlin chuckled softly without a word, but that smile answered for him: We're so close, friends of the soul—who else would I throw under the bus but you?
But... precisely because the witch was dangerous, Merlin wouldn't face her actively. Shirou steeled his heart.
The boy walked toward the center of the forest, and before long, someone sought him out.
A girl wearing a pink bat suit and a pink cape was hovering in the air, suspended by origami bats. She flew up behind the boy and hugged him directly.
"Shirou, Shirou~! I finally found you~!"
"Wait! Can you tell me why you're looking for me?" Shirou dodged the pounce and looked at the overfamiliar girl.
"Because! Because! You're my husband!" The girl with messy black hair said with wide eyes. "We swore to marry in a church, exchanged rings, and promised that after defeating the Demon King, we'd have two children... one to be a wizard, the other a lawyer."
"Wait! Are you talking about things that happened in a game?" Shirou asked, holding his palm out in front of him.
"Because you're the one who played the game with me! An account is like an ID card, unique to every person. I am Ako, you are Shirou, and Ako is Shirou's wife! No matter the environment, a promise made is an unchangeable fact! We are already a married couple! Darling, it's not okay to be unfaithful." The girl stared with wide eyes.
"That was Merlin! And even if we set that aside, that was a virtual world, different from reality. Do you understand?" Shirou explained painstakingly.
"Hmm? A promise is a promise," the girl blinked in confusion.
"Hah... she's not listening at all." Shirou covered his face helplessly.
"Shirou, what are you saying? Have you forgotten our beautiful memories and the vows we made?" The girl's eyes became hollow and vacant, looking as if she were about to break.
"Stop! I will protect you! Shirou! Even if I have to cross time and space and travel through different worlds, I will protect you!" A pink-haired girl jumped down from a tree. She held a phone and was dressed as a twin-tailed fox JK idol.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Shirou asked, startled.
"Oh my, Shirou, our eyes met." The pink-haired girl held her face in her hands, a rapturous blush appearing.
"Gasai-san, are you here to interfere again? Because of you, everyone was already fighting among themselves before we could even catch Shirou! I just wanted to talk to Shirou for a bit, I wouldn't have hurt him! Can you stop getting in the way?" Ako said, pouting.
"Oh, stop it, Ako-san. Weren't you just about to let your toys pounce on Shirou? No matter who it is, I won't let anyone hurt Shirou," Gasai Yuno said.
"You're the one! You're just like those other women, you want to steal Shirou! You came here to break us up, didn't you!" Ako angrily summoned a large number of magical familiars.
"It's dangerous! Don't come over here!" Shirou shouted, but he couldn't stop the girl. Before he could finish his sentence, she had already charged at the black-haired girl.
The pink-haired girl summoned Chinese spiritual talismans in both hands—thunder, fire, and ice spikes blasted toward the origami animal familiars in sequence, burning them or sealing them in pillars of ice.
"Out of the way! I'll seal you into a Killing Stone! You vixen!" Ako said with hollow eyes, devoid of emotion. At some point, she had produced a wood-chopping cleaver.
"You're a fox yourself right now! I came here so that Shirou could be happy," the pink-haired girl said with a fearless smile. The fox possessing her, perhaps due to the Master's influence, was both enchanting and radiating a sense of madness. A cleaver appeared in her hand as well.
"Why the cleavers? Does everyone have one? Am I supposed to start fighting before I even figure out their situation? What do I do now?" Shirou asked nervously.
"Conquering them both at once is impossible. Shirou, run for now!" The experienced Merlin spoke from the mental world. "There are girls who were swept in with you nearby! Cut through the woods, then turn right!"
"I've got it!"
With Merlin's coordination, a mist of illusions was released. The boy took the opportunity to run in the direction Merlin indicated.
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