Type-Moon, What Do You Mean You summoned Tiamat?! Chapter 16: Reality Marble

On the old Route 77, almost buried by sandstorms, located just outside the southwestern boundary of Snowfield City—this was precisely the dividing line between city and wilderness. Beyond it stretched the endless Nevada Desert.

Carrying the Tiamat Lily on his back, Matou Yuu crossed the desolate midnight road and pushed open the door to a low, shabby hotel room.

In stark contrast to the glamorous downtown academy district, this place felt like a forgotten corner of modern civilization.

Outside the window everything was deathly still; the only sounds were sand and wind striking the glass and, occasionally in the distance, the mournful howl of a coyote.

Inside the room, Matou Yuu vigorously tore open the extra-large seafood cup-noodle box he had just bought at the convenience store.

Only a few hours earlier he had taken Tiamat to a high-end late-night restaurant.

There, while watching the blue-haired beauty devour her al, he had basically drunk free ice water… He kept saying "I'm not hungry, you eat," but his wallet kept shrinking.

As a magus, Matou Yuu could have used magecraft to make the front desk clerk or waiter voluntarily waive the bill. In other words, obtaining free als would have been ridiculously easy if he wished.

But he rembered he was a Clock Tower student.

To preserve mystery, magus occasionally manipulated ordinary people's perceptions or erased mories.

However, abusing suggestive magecraft in a crowded place like a restaurant would inevitably leave traces or magical fluctuations.

The Holy Church's agents or the Mage Association's legal investigators would almost certainly detect such traces.

It wasn't worth risking his diploma to save a few al costs… not worth it at all.

"Gurgle gurgle."

While the cheap electric kettle humd, Matou Yuu tore open the packaging, poured boiling water into the paper cup, skillfully sprinkled in the dried vegetables and seasoning packets, and pressed the paper lid down with a fork.

Three long minutes later.

He poured the soaked noodles and soup into a ceramic bowl on the side. Rich, appetizing steam imdiately rose from the hot soup.

He snapped apart a pair of disposable chopsticks and had just taken a few hurried sips when he felt an unmistakable gaze from beside him.

Matou Yuu hesitated for a mont, then turned toward the blue-haired loli sitting at the edge of the mattress.

She was still wearing that oversized kimono that dragged on the floor, squatting there obediently.

Her star-like crimson eyes stared unblinkingly at the bowl of noodles in his hands. When the aroma reached her, her nostrils twitched slightly.

"Still hungry…?" Matou Yuu asked cautiously.

Gulp.

Tiamat clearly swallowed, yet stubbornly turned her face away, her long dark-blue hair swaying with the motion.

"I don't want to eat… You can have it."

Even as she said this, she kept stealing glances at him with her red eyes.

Outside the window the wind and sand howled. The room was extrely simple, yet this only made Tiamat shine even brighter.

Just a few hours earlier, when confronting Gilgash and Enkidu, she had radiated a terrifying pressure as if she would devour the world… Tonight, every Master and Servant in Snowfield City was probably secretly on guard, right?

Yet who could have imagined that this majestic Goddess of Creation would now look like a curious, gluttonous little girl?

She was clearly a god with the power to instill terror in the world, but at this mont she was as obedient and spoiled as a well-behaved girl… Humanity would call this the Second Beast.

Matou Yuu sighed and handed over the steaming ceramic bowl with a smile.

"You eat, you eat… I'm not eating."

Tiamat Lily regained her senses, shook her head repeatedly, and waved her small hands hidden in the sleeves.

"You're already full, and it would be a waste to throw it away. Besides… aren't you curious what this food tastes like?" Matou Yuu gently coaxed.

Tiamat's gaze darted back and forth between the young man's pure smile and the bowl of noodles.

The intense carbohydrate aroma drifting through the air delivered the final blow that broke her resistance.

Gulp.

After swallowing again, she finally succumbed to temptation and reached out with her delicate white hand to take the ceramic bowl.

The mont Tiamat slurped a mouthful of noodles, a small glowing blue text quietly appeared before Matou Yuu's eyes.

[System Notification: Your "Sea Spirit Larva" has consud "inferior dehydrated carbohydrates and complex spices from the industrial age." Although the nutritional value is extrely low, she is pleased by the novel taste.]

[Through the feeding action, your "Sea Spirit Larva" has gained 1 Trust toward you.]

[Hidden Reward Unlocked: 1 Free Attribute Point]

Whoa… Feeding Tiamat to raise her "Bond Level" gives extra rewards?

Without hesitation, Matou Yuu added the hard-earned free attribute point to the scarcest resource—Magic Power.

Suddenly, a sharp "ding!" echoed in his mind.

Magic Power: 10/10 (D-)

Upgrade conditions t.

Current Magic Level breakthrough: 0/10 (D)

Imdiately afterward, another reward appeared: [Your Magic Power has exceeded 10. Reward: Portable Hot Spring ×1]

When the notification sound ended, Matou Yuu felt syllables like a magical incantation float into his mind.

Guided by instinct, he quietly chanted the spell.

"Travelers will eventually stop, but drears will never awaken…"

As the final syllable faded, ripples seed to spread through the air like magic.

"This is the eternal lullaby!"

Buzz—!

A humming sound ca from the air.

At first he only felt the creaking, rotten wooden floor beneath his feet beco warm and soft.

But soon… the surroundings changed.

The peeling wallpaper, the dim incandescent bulb, the sandstorm and desolate desert outside the window—all vanished.

What first caught his eye were floor-to-ceiling windows. In front of them blood plants and flowers emitting a faint glow. Beyond the windows stretched endless grasslands, yet an invisible wall of air rippled slightly, as if saying "This area cannot be explored yet."

In the center of the room stood a large, pure-white, soft bed. The sound of bubbling spring water could be heard… or rather, the sound of liquefied magic.

"Ah?"

A soft, mysterious chant echoed.

When Matou Yuu turned around, the original blue-haired loli had sohow reverted to her mature, divine form.

In this world filled with vast amounts of magic, Tiamat no longer needed to shrink her body to conserve energy.

At this mont, her vivid crimson eyes blinked as she curiously examined the beautiful surroundings with great interest.

This place felt less like a resting area and more like a mini-Avalon.

Matou Yuu, standing beside her, was completely stunned.

He could clearly feel that there was no turbid ether from the outside world, no interference from Snowfield City's distorted leylines, and even the laws of physics seed to revolve around his own will.

Wait… the system called this a Portable Hot Spring?

This is a Reality Marble, isn't it?!

…