The Eight-Headed Serpent Frozen Solid / The Kidnapped Children

A gigantic snake head with an enormous mouth emerged from the ground, about to swallow Shirou, Illya, and the Great White Bear whole. The Great White Bear, nearly three meters long, looked like a rat in the gaping maw of a lion, its jaws wide open, in stark contrast to the snake's enormous mouth.

With a daring leap, the Great White Bear dodged the snake's head that had lifted the ground and continued its frantic run down the mountain.

"Whoa! My guess was completely wrong! Susanoo's body wasn't even damaged! This mountain is the original body of Yamata no Orochi!" Illya cried out in despair.

"Roar! Goddess! Where do you think you're going! Let me taste the long-lost flesh of the goddess!"

A sinister sound came from underground, seemingly chasing the Great White Bear. Then, with a loud crash, another enormous snake head emerged from the ground, overturning everything on the surface, including trees and rocks.

Chapter 374 Frozen Yamata no Orochi

Inside the lord's mansion of Shimosōgoku Kiyokawa, a grand residence steeped in the ancient charm of the Tang Dynasty and imbued with its own unique style, the lovely Princess Kiyokawa was entertaining her young guests.

Upon arriving in the city, Musashi and Gudako first asked Afeng for directions, which led them to a dancer at the inn, where they received a warm welcome. However, the dancer didn't actually know much about the city.

So, led by the dancers, they arrived at the city lord's mansion and sought help from Princess Kiyohime, who held power.

Meanwhile, in Princess Kiyohime's reception room, the dancer Tamamo- san was covering her face with her hands, making funny faces, which made Tasuke, who was in Afeng's arms, giggle.

Miss Musashi happily ate the tea and snacks served by the servants of the lord's mansion.

Kiyohime and Gudako were staring at each other in silence.

Kiyohime squinted, assessing the threat level of each of the girls present.

Miss Fox is a formidable opponent. She's right under our noses now, and we have no chance to succeed, so we'll leave her alone for now and burn her to death sooner or later.

Threat level: High

The samurai girl has a carefree personality and is a glutton; she seems like she could be bribed. She also appears to be a swordswoman with her own goals, so it's unlikely she'll stay here indefinitely. Although she's strong, she's actually the least threatening person here.

Threat level: Low

Then there's... the younger sister type! She seems harmless, the weakest human here, but there's a faint aura of danger emanating from her. Could she actually be the most terrifying being here?

But judging from her feigned cuteness, maybe she's a shrew who knows men very well? Kiyohime thought to herself, feeling slightly hesitant.

Threat level: Unknown

Gudako's eyes widened as she tried to appear as cute as possible, radiating goodwill. This was Shirou-senpai's Asura Field, which she was actually quite happy to witness. If she could help alleviate some of the pressure on Shirou at Chaldea, that would be even better.

After all, she'd rather have Shirou-senpai her mother than her man. Someone who gives her pocket money every year—the more the better! If she and Shirou-senpai team up, they can definitely build a super family! Of course, they can't even let people from another world go.

Just then, a rustling sound came from outside, the hurried footsteps of several people, as if some commotion had occurred.

"Wow! A snake! A snake has come in!"

"Someone, quickly bring a long bamboo pole and use it to lift these snakes out!"

Kiyohime stepped out onto the corridor and saw that the snakes that had been hiding underground had all crawled out and were struggling to climb over the wall. It wasn't even summer, the season when snakes are most active.

"These children seem very excited, both joyful and frightened. What could have happened?" Kiyohime asked, puzzled.

In fact, it wasn't just the city lord's mansion that was like this; snakes crawled out from underground crevices and bushes throughout the entire city and beyond, swarming across the ground. The women screamed in terror and all ran back home to hide, too afraid to go outside again.

The cause of all this was, of course Yamata no Orochi that was rampaging on the mountain.

When Divine Beast like it is born, it always causes some unusual phenomena. For example, when the divine bird Phoenix appears, it causes all birds to pay homage to it. As the greatest serpent god in this country, it naturally receives the submission of all its kind. Even if the Yamata no Orochi no Orochi does nothing intentionally, nearby snakes will sense the serpent god and be involuntarily drawn to it.

These are merely racial suppressions; if it involves beings with a special connection to the Serpent God, then the situation is even more severe.

"What a surprise! I seem to sense a very familiar aura. Could it be that this world is already destined for destruction without us even needing to intervene?" A petite figure with a pair of right angles on her forehead spoke in a soft and charming Kyoto accent. Although the girl's figure was still that of a middle school student, she possessed the alluring air of a woman from the red-light district, and spoke in a very seductive tone.

The tall, slender samurai woman standing on the other side revealed a terrifying smile and said, "Oh dear, really! What a stench! If I had been summoned normally, I would have rushed over there by now. That thing absolutely needs to be cut down as soon as possible."

"Well, we've collected enough souls, so we can head back now. We can finally watch a good show," the petite, horned woman said with a smile, swinging the magic gourd she was carrying.

"Shouldn't you go over there and see? She's your mother, after all. If a child can't get out of his rebellious phase, then..." the samurai woman asked.

The horned woman said, "I am now Servant, and I really don't want anyone I know to see me looking so pathetic. Besides, what can be resurrected is just an empty shell driven by the instinct for revenge. Even if we met, we wouldn't be able to say anything."

"Roar!!! I'm so hungry! I hate you so much!! Susanoo! Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto! Amaterasu! I'll devour you all!"

At this very moment, on a mountain that had been devoid of animals and deathly silent for centuries, a ferocious roar erupted, shaking the earth and cracking it open; even the sky seemed about to shatter. Countless swarms of snakes, transformed from black mist, writhed and twisted as Shirou and Illya's escape continued.

The Great White Bear, tongue lolling out, strained with its four massive paws, managing to outrun a cheetah.

As a colossal creature, as large as a mountain, rampaged wildly, one after another, gigantic snake heads emerged from the ground, each time accompanied by a deafening roar. The scene was truly awe-inspiring. Meanwhile, a rain of snakes of varying sizes was falling from the sky. Fortunately, the Great White Bear was quick enough to escape; otherwise, the giant tree coiled around the python would have crashed down less than two meters behind them.

"Waaaaah! Run! Shirou!" Tears streamed down Illya's face as she raised her massive, blunt sword and swung it wildly, swatting away the snakes falling from the sky, as if afraid one would land on her head.

"Little bug! Inhale!" The giant snake opened its mouth wide and began to inhale, the frantic suction pulling everything around it backward before swallowing it whole. The Great White Bear strained with all its might, frantically stomping the ground, but still couldn't move forward a single step.

"Goddess! Susanoo! Little insects! Don't run away! My stomach is so hungry, I'll use you as a snack first! Then I'll go back and devour all the gods of Takamagahara!" Yamata no Orochi roared with hatred.

The resurrected serpent god seemed to have some mental deficiencies. Rather than a god, the Yamata no Orochi, which was wreaking havoc, was more like a monster that only knew how to destroy. At this moment, the giant serpent did not use any other means besides physical attacks; otherwise, Shirou and the others would never have been able to escape here.

But even in a purely physical attack, the eight heads of the Yamata no Orochi were as terrifying as if they were facing eight Dragon species.

"We have to find a way!" Shirou thought anxiously.

'Ordinary attacks can't damage Yamata no Orochi at all, so shall we use the Serpent -Noble Phantasm?'

In fact, he did possess the strongest attack method against Yamata no Orochi Tsumikiri Muramasa of the Tomokari Greatsword that he had forged. He even used this divine weapon to fight the incomplete, berserk goddess-turned-monster Gorgon that Perseus had summoned.

However, if he were to use this divine artifact, he would inevitably have to mobilize the divine Divine Power within his body, which would allow the white deity to detect his presence.

One of the Yamata no Orochi opened its blood-red maw and lunged forward.

There's no time to think! This is the only option! Nine Lives Blade Works!!!

Shirou transformed the axe, which had been infused with the martial arts techniques of Great Hero, into a giant arrow that shone with golden light. He Projection his familiar longbow onto the arrow with his left hand, nocked it, and fired it with a backhand motion.

It recreated Heracles's legendary feat of slaying the Hydra, the nine-headed serpent. The arrow suddenly split into hundreds of golden, materialized arrows that seemed to have eyes, flying out on their own and chasing after all the large and small serpent monsters that had been sucked in, finally crashing into the gaping maw of the serpent.

And then! Broken Phantasm!!!

However, other snakeheads quickly caught up with them.

"Gahhh!!" The Great White Bear opened its mouth in panic and spewed out a white icy Beam Cannon, freezing the uneven snakes beneath its feet into a smooth ice surface. Using the ice, the Great White Bear slid down like a gust of wind, dodging the snakes' attacks.

"This! I can do it too! Watch me!" Inspired, Illya took out her small Noble Phantasm, her Noble Phantasm, drew back the string, and fired it at the giant snake head that was chasing after her.

The icy arrow struck the snake's head, instantly freezing the massive head into a small mountain.

Freezing is a highly effective method for dealing with cold-blooded snakes. That's why the Counter Force chose to send Illya to this world to deal with Yamata no Orochi.

Because these cold-blooded animals produce relatively little internal heat, their body temperature changes with the ambient temperature. When snakes bask in the sun, their body temperature is very high. However, on cloudy days or when they are in water, their body temperature drops by several degrees or even more than ten degrees.

Therefore, these kinds of animals cannot survive in environments that are too cold or too hot.

"Kill! Kill..." The snake's head, frozen in ice, stopped moving, fell to the ground with a thud, and remained motionless, having fallen asleep.

"Illya, come again! Ice can suppress it!" Shirou exclaimed in surprise. He also Projection his ice-type Noble Phantasm and, together with Illya, unleashed a barrage of attacks on the Yamata no Orochi's body.

"So sleepy..." Yamata no Orochi groaned and began to snore.

At this moment, the mountain and its surroundings had turned into a silvery-white expanse, with snowflakes still falling from the sky, creating a completely frozen world. The body of the Yamata no Orochi gradually receded, dragging its eight enormous, sleeping heads, and sank into the bottom of the sunken mountain.

Shirou and Illya's premature breaking of the seal was not in vain. The Yamata no Orochi, awaiting repair, had its balance disrupted by its early appearance, leading to instability in its consciousness. A small mistake can have disastrous consequences.

The resurrection of Yamata no Orochi was therefore incomplete. Originally, he should have been restored to his full strength and possessed a physical body as a demon god. However, judging from the Servant summoning system of Servant Spirits, he doesn't even qualify as an Avenger-class Servant. He's more like a Berserker who has completely gone berserk.

Driven solely by physical instincts, the large snake chose to hibernate in the cold.

"We finally escaped." Shirou and Illya finally breathed a sigh of relief, having escaped a close call. The Great White Bear collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, utterly exhausted.

However, the matter is far from over; the giant serpent could wake up at any moment.

In a dark, shady attic, on the ground floor.

A black-haired female ninja dressed in fishnet clothing was crouching on the ground in pain, the marks from something binding her body becoming even more pronounced. Although the binding was invisible to the naked eye, it was clear that something long was pressing against her skin.

Moreover, that thing had been moving constantly since the beginning, causing the flesh embedded in the dent on the female ninja's fair skin to tremble and burn with pain.

"Uh... forgive me, please forgive me, Goddess..." The female ninja knelt on the ground, trembling in pain, her whole body soaked and dripping with sweat.

She frantically tugged at her hair, tearing off the bandages and messing up her hair, revealing her heterochromatic eyes—one gold and one blue.

Within one of her golden eyes, a black vertical pupil appeared. It seemed as if something was peering through the female ninja's body, observing something. Those eyes held only bestiality and a burning desire for revenge.

On the upper floor, several Black Shadow looked down at the female ninja who was in a daze.

"It seems she's no longer usable. But that's fine too, that Yamata no Orochi can help us keep that man occupied," the leading sorcerer said in a deep voice.

The sword demon, his face obscured by a cloak, coldly glanced at the suffering female ninja and said, "Originally, during the campaign, I spotted a capable man, and to guard against unforeseen circumstances, I moved the plan forward. But things still went wrong. Since the spearmen have failed, and the female ninja is now unable to move, I'll simply handle Musashi's execution."

Sword Demon gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist, speaking with eager anticipation.

"No, it's not the right time yet. Miyamoto Musashi's sword isn't enough for you right now. Besides, she shares the same destiny as me. If the timing isn't right, she might escape to another world." The sorcerer said.

"Hmph!" The sword demon snorted coldly, but his hand still left the sword hilt; he had been persuaded.

The sorcerer continued, "And with the Chaldea Master who restored Human Order here, it wouldn't be surprising if we clashed at any time. That's why I summoned you here. First, find a way to kill them, Caster!"

"Of course, Master, leave this to us. My puppet has already taken that silver-haired demon warrior to find them, and the Heavens' Hell and Black Rope Hell should have collected enough souls and are on their way back. I will send them off to defeat Musashi as well, all for the sake of Satan in Hell." The mysterious man smiled, bowed, and agreed.

"Alright, you can split up and proceed," the sorcerer instructed.

"Yes..." The two Black Shadow disappeared into the gloomy attic.

Chapter 375 The Kidnapped Child

"Oh dear, you're just standing by and watching? I can't agree with that." Behind the sorcerer, a blue-haired warrior with his arms crossed and a long sword tucked in front of him stepped forward. He looked at the pitiful girl below and shook his head.

"That's not a pitiful girl, but Heroic Spirit Swordmaster from hell, and now she's a monster beyond my control. Kojiro, this isn't the task I gave you," the sorcerer said coldly.

"I will certainly keep my promise and fulfill my duty to protect you, as you have shown me such kindness in providing me with a meal. Moreover, I would like to see the legendary Sword Saint for myself." Kojiro replied calmly. Although he felt pity for the poor female ninja, he was still a swordsman at heart.

The sorcerer turned and left, and the swordsman, having fulfilled his duty, returned to the place he was guarding.

The sorcerer's intention seems to be to summon cities representing destruction from the Demon Realm or hell into this world, ultimately resulting in the destruction of the world. His ambition is extremely far-reaching; his goal is not limited to this world, but connects many parallel worlds and spans the entire history of humankind.

Kojiro wasn't interested in destroying the world, but since he had already promised, he would fulfill his promise. In any case, as agreed, he would protect this place until the sorcerer completed his most crucial plan.

On the other side, Shirou and Illya, who had narrowly escaped being swallowed by the giant snake, looked back at the frozen iceberg. The black mist had transformed into a swarm of snakes, which had also become sculptures made of ice crystals, ice flowers, and ice trees. They were crystal clear, and after the black smoke dissipated, sunlight shone in, making them Gil and shine, exceptionally beautiful.

However, hidden within this seemingly tranquil and beautiful scene lies a colossal monster with the power to destroy the world, no different from the most devastating disasters.

The Yamata no Orochi, frozen in ice and in a state of hibernation, has finally calmed down for the time being.

"Fortunately Yamata no Orochi no Orochi is out of its mind. We must find a way to get rid of this eight-headed serpent," Shirou said.

However, his Noble Phantasm that Nine Lives Blade Works, along with the explosion of the Broken Phantasm, only temporarily restrained the Yamata no Orochi and did not cause any real damage. The scales on the Orochi's body were several times harder than any of the Dragon species Shirou had ever seen.

"Don't you have any other options? After all, the Counter Force brought you here, didn't it?" Shirou asked Illya with a puzzled look.

"No! No! It's impossible! How could I possibly defeat such a monster? My knowledge of the gods tells me that as long as it's on this country's soil, the body of the Yamata no Orochi cannot be destroyed." Illya shook her head repeatedly, still shaken.

Two people are definitely not enough to deal with such a monster; they need to come up with a suitable solution.

"After all, even the three most noble gods in this country couldn't destroy this physical body. Perhaps we should change our approach," Shirou said, making some guesses in his mind.

The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi is one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Wa, a divine object representing the royal family's sacrificial heritage. It is closely connected to the nation's destiny, and since the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was born from the Yamata no Orochi, it means that, to some extent, the Yamata no Orochi is also closely linked to the country and has received unprecedented protection.

After all, mythical Divine Beast and great demons of the level of Yamata no Orochi Nine-Tailed Fox are often associated with certain phenomena and the existence of nature, and are probably already unkillable. Even if they are killed, they cannot be completely killed. Given the right conditions, they can still be resurrected, or continue to benefit the world or wreak havoc on humanity in another form.

Shirou spoke up, "I encountered the Hyakki Yagyō before, and I heard about it among the yokai. Perhaps Tamamo- san knows something. Let's go to Tsuchi-ki Castle and meet up with Gudako."

However, the Great White Bear, which had been carrying them on its back and running for its life, seemed to have no strength left.

"Shirou, good boy, good boy, you've worked so hard." Illya stroked the exhausted Great White Bear lying to the side and said softly.

"Woo..." The Great White Bear tried to stand up wearily, but Illya waved her hand to stop it.

"I'll run the rest of the way with Shirou. You should go back and rest," Illya said reassuringly.

So Shirou and Illya ran towards the Tsuchi-ki Castle. Without the Great White Bear, even for two Servant, it would take time to get back to the city on foot, so they had to hurry. The two crossed the mountains, moved away from the frozen area, and finally turned into two black dots and disappeared.

Meanwhile, in the dark attic where the sorcerer and the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster were hiding.

No one paid any attention to the woman in the dark attic floor. The long-haired girl was muttering incoherently in her sleep, her body lying face down on the floor. Her body trembled in her sleep, sometimes curling up, sometimes straightening up, sometimes arching her back, almost like a snake.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the marks on the girl's body were gradually sprouting purplish-black scales, which began to spread all over her body. Suddenly, she opened her eyes; her originally heterochromatic eyes had turned a monstrous azure-gold, the malevolent aura within them identical to that of the Yamata no Orochi...

The girl slowly got up, then stood on her feet like a baby learning to walk, her movements very clumsy. But soon, she regained control of her body. Then she disappeared into the darkness.

When Shirou and Illya escaped the mountains where the Yamata no Orochi slept and arrived in the city, it was already night.

In their search for the giant serpent, they set out in the opposite direction from Musashi and Gudako. This meant they had to run back up the mountain, passing through the village to reach the city. The round trip took several hours, and by the time they arrived in the city, it was already past 8 PM.

Having learned the message left for them by the fox dancer from the inn, they arrived at the city lord's mansion. When the servants led them to the Princess's reception room, they discovered that the two children Afeng and Tian-Zhu, were nowhere to be found.

"Did Asao, Tasuke, and Tamamo-san go there to play?" Shirou asked doubtfully.

However, Tamamo-no-Mae herself was also there, and like Princess Kiyohime, she wore a melancholy expression and remained silent. Musashi and Gudako looked even more remorseful and self-reproachful.

"Gudako-chan? Musashi- chan? What happened?" Illya noticed the awkward atmosphere and asked.