When West sensed Merlin's brainwaves slowly approaching in his direction, he had just escaped death from the clutches of a group of vicious water-seekers. There was a laceration on his shoulder, and although it looked terrifying, the blood only flowed for a moment, and most of it stopped with his superior self-healing ability. At this rate, it will only take half a day at most to heal completely to the point that no trace can be seen.

He grabbed the torn red-stained garment and eagerly stepped forward.

Deep in the forest, the wind blows leisurely.

In fact, the closer you get to the heart of Ukiyo, the more you can feel why this place is called the "Tomb of the Sorceres". In addition to the robes and staffs that symbolized the status of wizards, the corpses of some knights with rusty blades were scattered about, and the indescribable fear and despair they had gone through before they died.

Therefore, to be able to come here in this forest that eats people and does not spit out bones, and only suffered a small injury that does not affect his movement, he seems to be lucky enough compared to those ancestors who broke into the floating world.

"Merlin!"

The tail note rises, unconsciously bringing some relaxation and pleasure. When the familiar figure under the tree not far away appeared in view, West's heart hanging in the air was indeed half relaxed.

"Are you alright?"

Sideways the injured arm, trying to hide it out of the mage's sight. The young man stepped forward with easy steps, stretched out his hand and patted Merlin's shoulder, just about to say something, but for some reason, a trace of inexplicable uneasiness suddenly crossed his heart.

"Merlin?"

The instinct that has gone through countless lives and deaths cries out for danger, and he wants to control his body to stay away. West's brows tightened together, adding to the force on his hand. As if he had just heard West's call, the black-haired mage finally turned around slowly, his expression as calm as ever, and there was nothing wrong with him.

"It's great to see you, Serena Williams."

The corners of his mouth were raised slightly, and his smile was still Merlin-like gentleness. The mage opened his arms towards the boy, as if he wanted to give him a reunion hug, but West's pupils locked, and he unconsciously took a half step back.

"How?"

Without releasing his arms, Merlin looked at his cohabitant who was standing in place with a complicated expression, and his eyes were full of doubts without a flaw.

"No, nothing...... Sorry, maybe I'm too sensitive. ”

Pressing his right hand to his heart, West muttered to himself. I don't know if he has passed through the dangerous forest and the guide zhì is a little nervous, the moment Merlin walked over just now, he actually reflexively wanted to attack. Although he quickly suppressed that inexplicable impulse, the sense of crisis that was out of control at this moment alone was enough for the always cautious teenager to be alert.

…… However, he would never be mistaken for Merlin.

I couldn't figure it out, after all, no matter from the face or brain waves, there was no doubt that the person in front of him was indeed the mage himself. West tilted his head in confusion, hesitated, and still raised a finger and shook it in front of his temple:

"Well, you don't mind if I ......"

"Of course not."

Smiled and shook his head. Merlin took half a step forward, and stood in front of the boy with such a generous attitude, whatever he could read his heart. Slightly relieved by the mage's unhesitating honesty, West pressed the corner of his forehead and tried to control himself as much as he could, recalling the missing hours from Merlin's mind.

It's like watching a movie through a curtain of water. Water droplets, moss, caves...... And the brilliant gold that flashed in the pupils. The final picture is fixed on the witch's winning smile, beside her, the black-haired mage with a hollow expression slowly stands up like a marionette, his eyes are out of focus, scattered in every corner of the void, and the soul imprisoned in the deepest part of the body is still trying his best to resist and struggle, anxious to send the last message-

Don't trust anyone, Serena Williams. ’

"Don't trust anyone, Serena Williams."

The words in consciousness and reality are one in the ear, and they are clearly from Merlin's mouth, but they give people a diametrically opposite feeling. Wester's expression changed dramatically, but before he could react, he was hit in the stomach and the wolf fell to the ground.

"I'm suing you, anyone, including me."

The mage's mockery with a slight smile floated from above his head, carrying him all the way down. Curled up in a circle in pain, West seemed to feel someone else slowly passing through the grass, his steps brisk like the song of death, quiet echoing in his ears. With the smell of wisteria flowers unique to the ukiyo-e forest, it is like a dream, but it also hides the fangs of poisonous snakes, which is demagogic.

"Sure enough, only you can capture such a ferocious beast without being bitten, Emorys."

He heard the witch speak, and her voice grew more and more ethereal, until at last, when she finally fell into complete darkness.

In an instant, the whole world fell silent.

……

In the dark, the passage of time is easily forgotten. It is like a trapped beast in a labyrinth, screaming anxiously, but never finding a way out. Even the onlookers from afar began to lose their interest and turned their heads to find a new place to stay. It was left in its place, confused, separated from its memories and senses.

'Your greatest weakness, West, is not that it's hard to put anyone in your heart, but that when you're willing to trust someone, you have unreserved trust in them. ’

West vividly remembers the heavy snow that fell in Paris that year. He fell into an elaborate trap and met Elizhe on the blood-stained Seine, as the madman said first.

- What does he know about me?

At the time, West was really dismissive of this. After all, this sentence doesn't sound logical, and it comes from the mouth of a mortal enemy, so naturally it won't be taken very seriously. But to this day, thinking of Yi Laizhe's slightly abrupt opening remarks back then, the deep meaning hidden behind it is indeed enough to make him frightened.

Of course, this is not to say that he regrets not being wary of the mage. Instead, he knew how many dangers lurked in the Ukiyo Forest, and how dangerous this "Magician's Grave" was for Merlin, but he still listened to the other party's insistence and let him follow him here.

…… Obviously, I want to protect him.

The frustration in my heart became clearer and clearer, and I woke up at this time, along with the perception of the outside world. Perhaps because Merlin had never been very good at attacking methods other than magic, even if he was accused of successfully plotting against West, it didn't make him really unconscious for long...... At the very least, when he struggled to open his eyes, he saw Vivien's somewhat surprised expression:

"You seem to be waking up a little earlier than I thought you would."

Sunlight spreads from the lush canopy, reflecting dappled silhouettes on the ground. In the boy's gradual clear-sightedness, apart from the halo and the floating dust, there were only men and women clinging to each other under the tree not far away—although he had only seen the heroine with the beautiful hair in the cape, and did not know it, but this did not prevent him from recognizing the high cheekbones belonging to Merlin at a glance.

West was immediately awakened.

"So, do you actually like to control others to do this kind of thing? Even if the other party is the most powerful mage, and may break free from your bondage spell at any time, it doesn't matter? ”

When he moved, he found that his hands were firmly tied to the trunk of the tree by thorny vines, and the brown-haired boy frowned slightly in pain. Although he didn't like to comment on other people's private lives, and he fell into such a disadvantageous situation, and Merlin had nothing to lose in this regard...... But for the sake of the innocence of his cohabitant, he felt that he still had to remind the young lady of how terrible a mad Amoris really was.

"Now is not the time to say such things, boy."

Raising her head from between Merlin's neck, Vivien threw an ambiguous look at the boy, but her fingertips kept chattering between the mage's lips. Whether she was pretending to be West to tease Merlin at first, or now deliberately provoking West with the mage, she seemed to enjoy admiring their expressions of calm and composure even though they cared so much...... For the Lake Elves, human hypocrisy and lies have long been no secret. Using this unconscious admiration to play with people, she has indeed always loved this kind of game.

So, looking at the young man opposite who didn't look very good-looking, Vivien chuckled and turned around, and landed an unabashedly kiss on the mage's eyelids:

"Of course I'm not going to do anything to Amores, he's the only hope we have of getting back to our homeland...... Isn't it so much more attractive to be the Eternal King, the son of the sky, the earth, and the great sorcerer feared by the ancient religions, or even the magic itself, to bear such a glorious title as a sacrifice? ”

"Dreaming." Blood slowly flowed down the wrist pierced by the vines, but it couldn't distract the young man from even a trace of attention. Danger narrowed his eyes, West sneered, and the sunlight falling in front of him began to gradually condense into sharp blades, floating between them, ready to attack.

"Hmph, what do you think you can do with the way you are now?"

With the witch's contemptuous taunt, the vines that bound the boy's hands violently stabbed deep into his skin, causing West's eyes to go black with pain, and the fragments of light crackled and fell to the ground.

Still clinging to the empty-eyed mage, Vivien stretched her body like a cat, suppressing Merlin's consciousness of wanting to break free, and her voice was lazy and hoarse:

"To me, Emorys who has lost his magic is no threat at all. And you, since you have fallen into such a situation, are no different from a beast in a cage...... What do you think you can threaten me? What do you call telepathy? ”

His face became even paler, and West bit his lip unwillingly, and his eyes finally began to be solemn. Of course, he had discovered that all his psychic abilities thrown at the other party seemed to be blocked, and they were sunk into the sea. No matter how many times you try again, trying to assimilate Vivien's or Merlin's thoughts is still in vain.

- How much else does she know about him? Just like when he was ambushed by Elizhe, did all the hole cards already be known before they were used?

"So, what the hell do you want?" Raising his head, the young man's eyebrows were tightly tangled.

"Don't worry, I just want to make a deal with you."

Of course, you can see his hesitation. In other words, it is this hesitation and caution that I take advantage of. Vivien raised the corners of her mouth coldly, drew a dagger from her sleeve, and raised her hand against Merlin's neck, whose eyes were empty and unresponsive. Although he said this, he did not give West any room for negotiation:

"You're either going to do what I say, or you're going to watch Amoris die here - I suppose his life should be enough for you to trade your own, right?"

His fingertips moved, and then he trembled. Merlin's imprisoned personal will was now more violent than before, and for a moment Vivien was a little difficult to suppress. Glaring fiercely at the restless mage, the witch reinforced, and then raised her head, waiting for the young man, who had been called by fate, to make a choice.

…… Does he have a choice?

Nodding, there was only a wry smile on West's face:

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to go to the temple where the undead live, where there is something that will allow us to return to Avalon...... You must trade that for Amorris's life. ”

Throwing an old piece of parchment with a real drawing in front of West, Vivien snapped her fingers, and the vines that bound the boy fell off the trunk. Only one was still wrapped around his neck, and the slightest movement of the sharp spike pierced his throat in an instant.

Speaking coldly, the witch raised her chin haughtily:

"Take this and find it...... Don't play any tricks, hermit. Although I admit that it is impossible to stop you, I can still do it with Amoris in front of you. ”

- Merlin's life is in your hands, how dare I take that risk.

The look became more and more helpless. West, who had been threatened so desperately for the first time, sighed silently, making sure that he could not think of any way out of the predicament for the time being, so he had to obediently bend down and pick up the worn-out parchment.

And in the next second, he was shocked by the picture drawn above.