Chapter 42. This Ugly World.
Ron opened his eyes and saw the pristine white space of his room stretched out before him. Ron couldn't understand how he had ended up in his bed so quickly. His head throbbed with pain and he began to think that everything he saw in the alleyway was just a nightmare. But when he tried to take a breath and tasted bitterness on his tongue, he realized that his fears had already taken hold of him.
His hands trembled, his body covered in cold sweat. He couldn't believe that it had all just been a dream, that the foggy world was nothing more than a product of his imagination. But when he looked at his hands, he noticed marks, as if huge scratches covered his skin. That's when he realized that Jack the Ripper was real, alive, and intimately familiar with the state when the fog takes hold of the lungs.
But what was it? He didn't know. Deep anxiety filled his heart. Was it only in his dream? If so, why was it so real? He started shaking like a boy lost in the woods at night.
He knew what real horror felt like, and this was not a dream. Seeing the scratches on his skin, he screamed in horror, realizing that this alleyway was just the beginning of his true nightmare. Ron felt that something was wrong. The fog was so thick that he couldn't even breathe. He wanted to escape the room, but he couldn't even see his own hands close to his face, and his legs were as if chained to the bed. He was enveloped in a dense and impenetrable fog that made Ron suffocate. He tried to exhale, but the air was so thick that it was impossible to breathe.
And then he heard footsteps, quiet and elusive, but still footsteps. He realized that Jack the Ripper had returned to finish his work. He realized that he could not escape, that he would remain in this fog forever, with Jack the Ripper and all his victims. And then he closed his eyes and waited for his fate in this dark and menacing world, where no one could hear his screams.
He heard rustling and whispers coming from the fog itself. He felt that something was watching him, something sinister and unclean. He tried to scream, but his voice got stuck in his throat. He knew he was trapped and that the fog wouldn't let him go, and Jack the Ripper wouldn't leave him alive. Was there anyone nearby, or had Jack dragged him into his mad world of suffering and death? Ron felt his heart stop when Jack the Ripper raised his blade. He knew it was the end and had already closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate, but then he heard a noise.
Just as Jack the Ripper's blade was about to strike, a fiery-red figure appeared out of nowhere, blocking the attack. It was Jeanne Alter, who had come to Ron's aid. She had been sleeping in the next room, but when Jack the Ripper appeared, she woke up, sensing the danger lurking in the shadows.
The two Servants clashed in a furious battle, their swords ringing through the night like thunder. Sparks flew from their blades, illuminating the room with a horrifying glow.
Ron struggled to breathe as his lungs burned from the acrid fog. He could barely make out Jeanne and Jack the Ripper, who continued to fight; their figures obscured by the swirling fog. But even in this terrifying mist, Ron felt the malicious presence of the Ripper, and his cold, calculating gaze fixed on his victim.
As the fog thickened, Ron felt consumed by terror. He knew he was trapped, caught in the grip of a supernatural force he couldn't comprehend. And as the battle raged on, Ron could only watch in horror as the two warriors fought to the death, their swords colliding in an unimaginable dance of death and destruction.
Hatred filled the room, flowing like a dense fog that suffocated Ron. He knew that Jack the Ripper wouldn't give up so easily and could still return at any moment, filling the room with unspeakable horror.
But this time, she came, Jeanne Alter, and triumphed in this darkness of madness and bloodshed. Jack the Ripper disappeared, leaving behind a blinding and cold emptiness, while Jeanne stood where Jack had just been, radiant with the terrifying and unimaginable power within her.
Ron looked at Jeanne, filled with gratitude and appreciation for her rescue. She nodded at him, then left, leaving him alone in his room, trembling and haunted by nightmares.
But the fog didn't dissipate, and Ron didn't feel safe. It seemed as though something was creeping towards his door, something dark and dangerous, a creature that would wait for the next moment to throw him into eternal darkness and madness.
Now that the darkness had caught up with him, it would never let him go, and all that was left for him was to wait for a brave soul who could conquer this world of horror. There were no more boundaries between reality and nightmares, between madmen and gods. Trapped in a hopeless situation, he understood that once you stepped onto the thin line between light and darkness, between this world and the otherworldly, there was no turning back. Madness always awaited on that threshold, and his decision to walk it had already been made.
Suddenly, the pure night enveloped Ron's room, a gentle breeze sweeping away the dense impenetrable fog that freely flowed over the floor and walls, making it hard to breathe. Ron cautiously called out to Jack the Ripper, fearing that he might return at any moment to continue his bloody work. But the dark infinite expanse of the room remained silent, looming over Ron like an unrestrained cry of someone else's pain, belonging to someone Ron couldn't help.
With great care, Ron got out of bed and approached the window. Ron stood at the window, gazing at the night sky. He felt himself becoming lost in the sea of madness. He knew he had to fight to survive, on the border between light and darkness.
Ron knew he had to conclude his battle with darkness, and he stared resolutely at the high sky. Now, a bright light burned in his heart, thanks to the fact that he was not alone and Jeanne had just assured him of that by protecting him from Jack the Ripper. Ron understood that there were people willing to do anything for him, deeply believing that he could endure this battle.
He took a deep breath, feeling the air fill his lungs with energy, and promised himself that he would definitely conquer his fears and weaknesses.
Ron's heart filled with confidence. The night sky was clear and filled with stars, as if even it knew that Ron had to make a decision. Ron looked at the stars of the night sky and said to himself.
"I am not alone, I am not weak. If necessary, I will participate in this battle for the Holy Grail, and I... will bring us victory."
He closed his eyes, placed his hand on his heart, and then suddenly transformed in his demeanor, speaking with utmost seriousness:
"I am ready, and I am not afraid. If it is necessary... I will learn everything I do not know from Fujimaru, and I... will become a Master in this Holy Grail War."