Chapter 10. The Curse of Soma and the Rampaging Monsterphilia
Late at Night...
This was the filthiest corner of the glitzy Labyrinth City, and the base of operations for the Soma Familia. The air was thick with the smell of moldy alcohol and nauseating rot.
"H-here is today's tribute..."
Lili knelt on the stain-covered floor, trembling as she held a heavy coin pouch above her head. Inside were the 30,000 Valis that Shirou Emiya had given her—the largest sum of money she had ever seen in her life.
"Oh?"
The man sitting on the tattered sofa didn't take the pouch immediately. He had long, withered hair like dried grass, deep-set eyes, and a gaze that held a sickly fervor.
Zanis Lustra. The captain of the Soma Familia, and the administrator of this living hell.
He took the pouch, opened it for a look, and a flash of surprise crossed his murky eyes before turning into greed.
"30,000 Valis... Lilliruca, you actually managed to get this much?" Zanis licked his cracked lips. "It seems that newcomer named Shirou Emiya really dotes on you."
"T-this money should be enough to cover my quota for the past few months, right?" Lili looked up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"Please, give me a little bit of the 'Divine Wine'... no, even just letting me rest for a few days would be fine..."
"Rest?" Zanis let out a cold laugh and suddenly kicked Lili hard in the shoulder.
"Ugh!" Lili let out a muffled groan, her thin body rolling several times before hitting the corner of the wall.
"Don't make me laugh! Since that fat sheep is so rich, why haven't you stolen his magic sword yet?!"
Zanis stood up, toying with a glass bottle containing a purple liquid. The liquid emitted an eerie glow under the dim lights.
That was the "Divine Wine" brewed by the God Soma. A single sip would allow one to experience a pleasure beyond life and death, but it was followed by absolute enslavement to the alcohol. Everyone in the Soma Familia was a slave to this bottle.
"That red shortsword... someone on the black market is offering 50 million Valis for it." Zanis walked over to Lili, knelt down, and shook the bottle in his hand.
"Listen well, Lilliruca. Tomorrow's 'Monsterphilia' is the most chaotic time of the year. I want you to steal that sword in the confusion and hand it over to me.
If you do it, this bottle of Divine Wine is yours. I will also waive all your debts and give you your freedom."
Lili looked at the bottle, her body trembling instinctively. It was a craving etched into her very bones, yet also her greatest fear.
"But if you dare to play tricks..." Zanis's gaze turned vicious, "I'll sell you to the Pleasure Quarter, where I'll make sure you can neither live nor die."
Lili lowered her head, her nails digging deep into her palms and piercing the skin. On one side was Emiya-sama, who gave her warm food and respect. On the other was a chance to escape this hell and obtain "ultimate bliss."
After a long silence, the girl's raspy and desperate voice drifted through the darkness.
"...Yes. I understand."
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The Next Day, Morning.
"Monsterphilia" commenced.
The entirety of Orario seemed to be boiling over. The streets were decorated with lanterns and streamers, filled with children holding balloons and demi-humans dressed in festive attire. As a grand festival hosted by the Ganesha Familia, this was the day when the normally terrifying monsters of the Dungeon would be brought to the surface to be "tamed" in the massive Colosseum for the amusement of gods and humans alike.
"Emiya-sama! Over here, over here!"
In the plaza before Babel, Lili stood waving her hand vigorously while carrying her massive backpack. Her smile today was as bright as ever, but deep in her eyes, an unnoticeable gloom was hidden.
"Good morning, Lili."
Shirou Emiya walked over. Today, he wasn't wearing his light leather armor but had changed into casual clothes. However, the deep-red [Otherworld · Kanshou] still hung at his waist, looking particularly conspicuous.
"Not going into the Dungeon today?" Lili asked, her gaze drifting toward the sword.
"Yeah, Loki said everyone has the day off. She told me to enjoy the festival." Shirou held two skewers of grilled meat, handing one to Lili. "Here, I just bought this. It seems to be Firebird meat; the taste is pretty good."
Lili took the skewer, her hand trembling slightly. It was happening again. This defenseless kindness made the guilt in her heart grow like wild weeds.
"...Idiot," she cursed inwardly, taking a hard bite of the meat.
"Thank you, Emiya-sama!"
"By the way, shall we go check out the Colosseum? I heard there are performances with giant monsters," Shirou suggested.
"O-okay!" Lili nodded, her heart rate beginning to accelerate. The Colosseum was crowded and chaotic—the perfect opportunity to make a move.
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Babel, Top Floor.
In front of a massive floor-to-ceiling window, Freya held a glass of red wine, looking down at the crowd that resembled ants. Her gaze pierced through layers of obstacles, locking precisely onto the red-haired youth.
"Has it finally begun?" A captivating smile curled on Freya's lips.
Behind her stood a Boaz man over two meters tall, built like an iron tower. Ottar. The only Level 7 in Orario, the captain of the Freya Familia, and the "King."
"Ottar, is everything arranged?"
"Yes, Goddess." Ottar's voice was as deep as thunder.
"The chains of the Ganesha Familia have been tampered with. The moment you give the word, those monsters will break free."
"Excellent." Freya swirled her wine glass gently, her eyes sparkling with a light that was both cruel and innocent, like a child's.
She wanted to see. She wanted to see what kind of dazzling brilliance the soul named Shirou Emiya would burst forth with when faced with a desperate situation.
Would he run like an ordinary person? Or draw his sword like a hero?
"Well then, let the banquet begin." Freya snapped her fingers lightly. "Go test him, go pressure him... go make him bloom."
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Central Plaza, Exterior of the Colosseum.
Shirou was squeezed into the crowd with Lili, looking at a three-meter-tall Silverback roaring inside a massive cage ahead.
"It's so big..." Lili shrunk her neck back in fear.
"It's been tamed; it should be fine," Shirou reassured her, but his brow furrowed slightly.
[Mind's Eye (True)] sent out a warning once again. And it was stronger than ever before. It felt as if he was being watched by countless pairs of malicious eyes.
Snap.
A crisp sound of metal breaking was negligible amidst the noisy cheering. But immediately following that—
"ROAARRRR—!!!"
The Silverback, which had been restrained by iron chains, suddenly tore off its neck collar in a frenzy. Its blood-red eyes stared fixedly at a certain direction in the crowd—specifically, at Shirou Emiya.
It wasn't just him. The Al-miraj, Orcs, Hellhounds in the surrounding cages... all the monsters broke their restraints at this very moment!
"W-what's happening?!"
"The monsters are out! Run!"
"Where are the Ganesha Familia members?! Someone, help!"
The once-joyful plaza turned into a hellscape in an instant. People screamed as they scattered in flight, resulting in a chaotic mess of trampling and shoving.
"Lili! Hold on to me!" Shirou grabbed Lili, who was nearly knocked down by the crowd, and shielded her in his arms.
"E-Emiya-sama..." Lili was shaking like a leaf. Looking at the frenzied monsters, her heart was full of terror.
'Is this the chaos Zanis mentioned? The chance is here... if I steal his sword from behind right now and vanish into the crowd...'
Lili's hand slowly reached toward Shirou's waist.
However.
"ROAR!"
That massive Silverback didn't attack anyone else. Instead, like a cannonball, it leapt high into the air, over the crowd, and smashed directly toward Shirou Emiya's position! The target was unmistakably clear!
"Tch, they're coming for me?"
Shirou's gaze sharpened. He had no time to worry about the movement at his waist and pushed Lili away forcefully.
"Run! Find a safe place to hide!"
"Eh?"
Lili was pushed back several steps and fell to the ground.
BOOM—!!!
The Silverback's massive fist smashed into the spot where Shirou had been standing. The ground cracked instantly, sending stone shards flying. Within the dust, Shirou's silhouette slid outward.
He didn't run. Because behind him, there were several children and elderly people who hadn't had time to escape.
"If you want to fight that badly..."
Shirou took a deep breath, and the Magic Circuits in his body lit up instantly.
"Steel is my body!"
An emerald-green glow covered his entire body, and his skin took on a metallic sheen. He drew the deep-red shortsword from his waist and stood before everyone.
"Then come, you mongrels."
Looking at the back of the man facing the giant beast alone, Lili, sitting on the ground in the distance, felt her outstretched hand freeze in mid-air.
She saw it. Facing a certain death crisis, his first reaction was to push her away so she could live.
"Why..." Tears streamed down Lili's face.
"Why do you have to be so kind... If you're like this, how am I supposed to betray you! You big idiot!"