IBHJ Chapter 992

"To think someone has been tampering with my timeline..." Shirou unconsciously stroked his chin, while the boy instinctively pushed up his glasses.

The situation had grown increasingly complex. Initially, Shirou had assumed this was a dungeon formed from memories extracted by Mooncell. The boy, on the other hand, had believed it was his future self traveling through time with enemies bent on eliminating him—like something out of a Terminator movie. The truth, however, was far more unsettling: someone or something had extracted a segment of Shirou's timeline.

Shirou considered his words carefully before speaking. "A person's life is meant to follow a linear path. It's a matter of cause and effect. In my case, this boy is my cause, and I am his effect. But now, some unknown force has extracted my cause, creating what appears to be a dungeon. More accurately, it's a Connection Point—a place where cause and effect, and even timelines, have become distorted."

Gilgamesh's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Describing it as a cause-and-effect Connection Point is rather fitting. Once such a thing comes into existence, escaping it is no simple task. Your past has been taken, after all. To move forward, you must resolve this anomaly. If you don't, who can say what will become of a future severed from its past?"

"How do we clear it?"

Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed as he spoke. "By eliminating the source that extracted the cause-effect. It could be a person, a spell, myself, or even you." His gaze shifted to the two mud-covered adventurers. "Of course, that was my conclusion before seeing that mud."

He followed Gilgamesh's gaze. "Which means..."

"If I'm not mistaken," Gilgamesh continued, "the owner of that mud is the center of the cause-effect. In other words, it may be the Mystery that extracted your past."

Shirou's expression grew complicated. Though he had suspected this possibility, did he have to face that woman again?

The boy interjected, sounding a bit frustrated. "All of this weird stuff is like economics—a chaotic mess. I'd rather stick to math, where you just follow the formulas." He looked at Shirou, curious. "But I'm interested. Why are you using Artoria's body, and how is Mordred your daughter? Arthur would flip if he saw this. What's the deal?"

"Some things are better left unsaid." Shirou reached out and flicked the boy's forehead. With a "thud", the boy went flying, clutching his head and rolling on the ground, searching for his glasses. "My glasses, where are my glasses? I can't see..."

Shirou couldn't help but look at Gilgamesh, "Has he always been this annoying?"

Gilgamesh sneered, "Don't you know yourself?"

Shirou: "..."

Watching the boy search for his glasses, Shirou suddenly thought that maybe losing the memory of this particular past life wasn't so terrible after all.

The boy finally retrieved his glasses, putting them on with a resentful look. Just as he was about to complain, his expression suddenly shifted, eyes widening in alarm. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, a Command Spell glowing as he shouted, "To my side, Archer!"

In an instant, one of the Command Spells vanished. Gilgamesh's form seemed to be seized by an irresistible force, his body breaking through the fabric of space to materialize beside the boy.

Gilgamesh's eyes flashed with rage, his body radiating fury. "How dare you, you insolent..." he began, but his words trailed off as his gaze landed on the spot he'd just left. Where he had stood moments ago, a pool of pitch-black mud now spread out, its surface rippling like a miniature abyss.

"When did...!?" Gilgamesh was taken aback. He hadn't noticed the mud appear beneath his feet. If his Master hadn't used a Command Spell to pull him back, he might have been swallowed up like the other two.

Gilgamesh looked at his Master, whose face showed no relief. Instead, he was staring intently at the mud and Shirou.

"What is that?" the boy asked Shirou seriously.

Shirou took a cautious step backward, his eyes never leaving the ominous pool. "I'm not sure. It flowed out from Misaya, it might be something from Manaka."

As expected of the mud from the Dark Vortex, even he, a vessel of evil, hadn't noticed its movements.

"Arthur—" the two adventurers suddenly made a sound. But strangely, it wasn't the gruff voice of a beast-man or the lilting tones of a fairy, but a clear, melodious female voice.

"Who!?" Gilgamesh and Misaya questioned, while young Shirou's face suddenly paled.

Endless black mud, carrying a certain will, surged up from the ground like a giant maw from the abyss, rushing to engulf Shirou.

Shirou's face changed drastically, and he instinctively prepared to flee, but suddenly remembered what Gilgamesh had said earlier.

— The key to solving the cause-effect Connection Point lies in resolving the core that extracted the cause-effect.

His steps faltered, and in that moment of hesitation, the mud flow instantly reached him.

"Gil—" The boy shouted.

"—I told you not to order me around!" Gilgamesh quickly responded, retrieving a white lotus flower from his treasury. However, the pure lotus, which had previously dissolved the Beast's authority, couldn't dissolve the mud clinging to Shirou.

Gilgamesh frowned, drawing his twin swords. Just as he was about to cut away the black mud, Shirou shouted, "Stay back!"

Gilgamesh scoffed, "You think such filth can contaminate me?"

But Shirou shook his head, then looked at them both with a serious expression, "I entrust Mordred to you. Keep her safe...!"

Before the concern could fade from his eyes, the mud, filled with obsession, engulfed Shirou, dragging him away, out of sight.

Everything vanished, leaving only the still-irritated Gilgamesh, the confused and frightened Misaya, and the unconscious Cu Chulainn.

"What was that thing—!?" Misaya glared at the boy, demanding an answer.

The boy turned his head, looking at the pitch-black night outside the window, and said, "The sleeping mastermind has awakened."

After a while, Mordred and Kiara, who had been left behind by the boy and Gilgamesh, also arrived.

The boy explained the situation to them.

"What? Mr. Shi- Shi..." Kiara caught herself mid-sentence, her eyes darting nervously to Mordred. "Lady Artoria has been captured? We must save her immediately!"

"It's not Artoria," the boy corrected, his brow furrowing. "It's me—or rather, my future self who's been taken." As he spoke, he noticed Kiara's odd behavior. "Why do you keep winking at me? Let me be clear, I have no interest in romance."

"That's not it..." Kiara was flustered.

"We're not going," Mordred said bluntly.

Kiara turned to Mordred, shock evident in her voice. "How can you say that? We're talking about Artoria-neesan here."

"Oh, I see what's happening," the boy said, a smile of realization spreading across his face as he pointed at Kiara. "You don't think Mordred knows that Artoria is actually my future self, do you?"

Isn't that the case? Kiara blinked, then turned to look at Mordred, who had turned her head away.

Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Mordred knew all along?

"Look, I don't know what's going on here, so as an outsider, I shouldn't say much. But if you're going to lie to someone, at least make it convincing. Future me has been wearing his 'I don't want to lie' face this whole time, and you look like a fresh graduate on their first day at work. Who are you trying to fool?" the boy said.

Kiara shrank back.

The boy glanced at Mordred, who had turned her head away and was emanating a cold aura, and continued, "Although I don't know what happened in the future, since it's happening before my eyes, I must go."

Gilgamesh, standing nearby, said with interest, "You're just a few days away from graduating. Are you really going to get involved in this mess? I thought you cared a lot about your degree."

"Of course I do. A degree is the key to an exciting life. I don't want mediocrity; I want a life that's brilliant and exciting," the boy pushed up his glasses, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "How often do you get a chance to meet your future self and go on an amazing adventure?

Kiara gazed at the boy, her eyes shimmering with admiration. As expected of Mr. Shirou, she thought. Even in his inexperienced youth, he faced hardship and danger with such bravery.

However, a flicker of confusion crossed her face. "But... doesn't Mr. Shirou always say he wants a peaceful and leisurely life more than anything?"

The boy waved his hand dismissively. "That must be him being shy, or just talking nonsense,"

She was stunned, but quickly brushed it off. If it was Mr. Shirou saying it, it must be true.

The boy then turned to Misaya, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "Misaya-senpai, why don't you come along with us?"

"I refuse," she replied icily. "Besides, I'm hardly qualified to get involved in something like this, am I?"

"Qualifications?" The boy's eyes gleamed. "There's no such thing. You're already involved, whether you like it or not. The one who cursed you is the same person who kidnapped my future self. If you don't come along, who knows what kind of monster you'll turn into if the curse activates?" He paused for dramatic effect. "Or if we succeed and I gain ownership of your curse... I seem to remember you wanted to use me as a shield before. Now, what should I do about that? Let me think..."

The boy rubbed his chin, deep in thought, before breaking into a sunny smile. "How about I make you transfer all your family assets to me? Oh, and you'll also have to work for me for the rest of your life. That way, I can live comfortably off your efforts."

"You little #$%@..."

As Misaya's language became too vulgar, Cu Chulainn, who had woken up, couldn't bear to listen anymore and covered her mouth with his hand.