Chapter 483
The Heavenly Raft of Rama.
This is the Noble Phantasm -level weapon that Erice obtained from her bloodline.
"When did I even get this thing on me?! I have absolutely no memory of it!"
Witnessing the extraordinary and mysterious manifestation firsthand, Erice, who had initially thought the Demon King was just trying to deceive her, felt a chill run down her spine.
"I don't know, the Demon King didn't tell me."
Alice shook her head and turned to the next page of the Book in her hand. "But it's a good thing we have it."
"Could that Demon King be Sukunahikona!?"
Erice was unaware of the details about herself.
Although she couldn't understand it at the moment, she still subconsciously recognized the ship's real name.
Upon hearing this name, Alice blinked.
I don't think so.
"..."
Because of Alice's confident tone, Erice hesitated, "Regardless, I'll still call him out to confront me!"
After saying this, the Black-Haired Girl placed her hand on her chest as usual and called out to the Demon King. Then she turned into a silver-haired girl.
"Of course not. I am, after all, a ballad from the Germany region. Even if I were to become a god, I should be a god from the Germany region."
"Isn't Germany also a region under the Germania system?"
Alice raised her index finger, "The Norse god?"
Alice asked this question not because she really wanted to know the Answer, but simply to start a conversation. After all, she had a vague feeling from Moriarty's attitude that the Demon King was most likely Faria, and that there must be something else mixed in with him.
"Not entirely. The earliest Germany mythology should be considered the Baltic Pantheon."
Silver- Erice raised her eyes, looked at Alice, and blinked.
"Old Prussian Mythology."
Baltic Sea mythology belongs to a unique branch of Indo-European mythology, while Old Prussian Mythology is one of the oldest and most mysterious Faith systems.
As the last Europe people to convert to Christianity, the Prussia retained the vibrant characteristics of primitive nature worship. Their mythological system shares the same origin as Lithuania and Veya mythology but is even more wild.
In their worldview, the world is a hierarchical structure supported by three giant trees. Because it is too ancient, no deeds have been passed down, only names and some so-called settings.
For example, the world is said to be reborn every 52 years due to the burning of the World Tree, which causes a great Flood. This corresponds to the major year cycle in Prussia astrology.
Then, the Supreme Being beings in the Prussia gods are three, that is, the Trinity.
However, what's rather unusual is that the Prussia Trinity is divided according to age: the elderly Patollo, the ruler of the Underworld; the middle-aged Perkūnas, the god of thunder; and the young Potrimpo, the god of fertility. In this respect, it does seem to fit the trinity in "The Demon King".
"The Trinity, when you think of that, the first one that comes to mind is still the Church's."
"That's normal, after all, they have the highest brand recognition."
Silver- Erice suddenly perked up, "So, in the beginning God said—"
Suddenly, a loud 'bang' came from all around the Heavenly Raft of Rama.
A translucent wall enclosed a space ten meters in diameter, containing the ship, while bubbles began to rise from the sea.
One after another, cylindrical metal objects sliced through the sea and rose into the air.
Upon seeing that figure, both the silver- Erice and Alice simultaneously uttered a certain name.
"Drone?"
Drone before the Holy Grail War of the old era, which swept the globe, people predicted that modern warfare would be decided by autonomous weapons within a decade.
Even at the height of the Holy Grail War, an ordinary soldier could possess more than 10,000 Drone.
From tiny insects to large passenger planes, unmanned and semi-autonomous drones fly around the battlefield. Drone can dig into the ground and infiltrate underground facilities have also been developed, as well as Drone that can swim in water. Naturally, there are also Drone that disguise themselves as marine life to launch self-destruct attacks on submarines. Therefore, in naval warfare, they may even indiscriminately attack any approaching shadowy fish in self-defense.
However, what appears before us is not simply modern weaponry.
The Drone that floated to the surface had neither propellers nor balloons. If there was any technology that allowed them to gain buoyancy, it would probably be the strange crystals embedded in their surface.
In other words, this is --
"Ras**'s Alchemy!"
Alice shouted, having survived the Holy Grail War, she naturally understood the source of that crystal.
Not to mention the Clock Tower being disbanded, even some members of the Atlas Institute participated in the war, fusing Alchemy with modern weaponry.
Moreover, faced with the automatic counterattack of the Heavenly Raft of Rama, the Drone's evasion rate was so high that it was practically a mirage. They maintained a perfect distance from each other, demonstrating exquisite teamwork, like a flock of fierce eagles stalking their prey, launching a surprise attack.
Novia knew that unique movement from Sion.
Future prediction unique to the Atlas Institute, but simplified.
"Demon King!"
As Alice regrouped, she shouted, "Most of these Drone are equipped with the same system as Atlas Institute's Future predictions! The longer the attack continues, the more they will be able to react!"
"I see."
At the critical moment, silver- Erice twisted her head, her seemingly casual movement Perfection dodging the Drone swarm's gunfire.
"I just calculated the number; there should be around three million in the vicinity, and it's still increasing."
"What--"
Just as Alice took out Poly, she overheard the Demon King's words.
The next instant.
The drifting seawater poured down, attempting to wash everything away.
As far as the eye could see, there was Alice light, only blurry spots reflecting the vast, seemingly inverted ocean. Visible waves surged forth, tearing the falling seawater in two, and the inverted waves were cleaved into countless trenches. An immensely colossal thing appeared—
Mechanical Beast the size of a monster in a blockbuster film, its entire body is made of Drone infused with the Alchemy of the Atlas Institute.
That's unbelievable.
In terms of the classification of the Magecraft world, it is not Phantasmal Species.
Rather, it is technology that is tantamount to being despised.
However, it is undoubtedly a terrifying mystery. The Atlas Institute's Future predictions are placed on it, enough to make it scatter and dodge before being hit by a huge blow. It is terrifying, simply a killing machine.
And so it draws in the surrounding air.
The air synthesized by the Magecraft is compressed and burned simultaneously.
The burning air expands with the explosion, continuously releasing expanding air and Od.
It was like a barrage of Od projectiles, continuously spraying energy onto the Heavenly Raft of Rama.
"No matter how well you predict the Future, if all the possible unavoidable Future are destroyed, then there's nothing you can do."
Silver- Erice focused her mind as she watched the incoming Od bullets, her hands brimming with Od.
"Nataraja, I'll take this and use it."
For some reason, Alice felt that the Demon King's method of using his Noble Phantasm or ability was very strange, as if he were directly calling out to the Inner Sea of Stars or somewhere else.
Divine Power gathers.
Od equivalent to that of the Age of Gods flowed through Erice's entire body, forming a shape in her hand.
It was Trident that shone with a black light, a weapon with fine purple lightning crackling around its black surface, exuding an aura of solemnity.
This feeling? India?
When Alice a question, the silver-haired Erice told her the Answer.
"Trishula."
In Indian Mythology, it is the weapon used by Shiva, the god of destruction.
In India philosophy, Trishula's three apexes correspond to "Sattva (goodness)" and "Rajas (passion)".
With "Tamas (ignorance)," Shiva leads the soul to liberation by destroying these three, which can also be interpreted as the unity of will (Icchā), action (Kriyā), and Wisdom (JnāNa), or the three times: past, present, Future.
Then, its most original meaning is utter destruction.
Because at the end of the kalpa, Shiva used Trishula to dispel illusions and pave the way for the rebirth of the Universe.
Thus, the true divinely inspired weapon was launched into the swarm of Od projectiles. The small Trident contained the Atlas Institute's prediction of the Future, an inescapable fate in which no direction could be escaped—destruction.
Whether one flees or perseveres, whether one splits or strengthens, none can escape this final outcome.
At its very core, Trishula radiated an endless, destructive divine power around it.
The Divine Power that incinerated the Universe devoured all seven million Drone within its range.
Immediately afterwards, in Alice's eyes, which were so bright that she had to close them, and then reopened them after everything was over, the once imposing Erice was now lying on the ship, her hair turned back to black.
This is...
Alice knelt down and helped Erice.
Is it due to overexertion?
Indeed, such immense power must have taken a heavy toll on Erice, so it would have been better if she possessed me instead...
After pondering for a while, the Witch decided to take Erice into the cabin for treatment first.
Then.
"Waaaah, God of Gaia, I've finally found you! That must have been the Trishula you got from Shiva! I can't be mistaken, Yama, it must be... ehhhhh?"
Before Erice, who Alice picked up Erise, even entered the cabin, she stared wide-eyed at the two people and a dog who had suddenly jumped onto the Heavenly Raft of Rama.
They were naturally Dionysus, Yama, and Anubis who had escaped from Mot.
When Novia and the others were attacked, Yama was furious. If the two gods hadn't held him back, Novia, who was possessing Erice, would probably have seen a middle-aged man climbing on a giant mechanical monster and biting the Drone with his teeth.
However, for Alice at this moment, she naturally wouldn't let her guard down against these people who suddenly appeared and said strange things.
"... Was this your doing?"
"No, no, ma'am, I'm a good person."
Yama's words made Alice narrow his eyes slightly.
"This guy's head was hit and he's not fully Divine Will, please excuse him."
Since Dionysus was only focused on drinking Wine and Yama spoke without thinking, Anubis felt he could only rely on himself. "We are Master and Servant who were spending money on the Underground Routes. We accidentally encountered the Black-Hearted Route and were abandoned, so we hope to be able to help."
Why didn't Anubis simply reveal their true identities?
The reason is simple: Mot had taken Authority of both of their deaths, and Dionysus was half-dead; it was best to be careful at sea.
As for the god Kavia mentioned by Yama, Anubis simply didn't think the two young girls before him possessed any of those qualities.
Even Yama thinks this way now.
"How could this be? It was definitely there just now... why isn't it there now...?"
Alice was surprised to hear this heartfelt murmur.
Could the person this strange middle-aged man is referring to be the Demon King? What does "no longer" mean?
This made Alice frown, and she couldn't help but glance at Erice, whose hair color had returned to normal, before looking at her own palm.
Only then did she realize that the three Command Spell that bound her to the Demon King had become extremely dim.
The light obscured our vision.
The pure white light instantly engulfed the surrounding trees and himself; it was the first time in his life he had ever encountered such a thing.
Faced with the overwhelming flash of light, the silver-haired girl felt she couldn't even close her eyes.
Actually, there were omens. Among the countless creatures living in the Forest... the birds took flight at the same time, their keen senses perhaps sensing something.
But it was too late for me; there was no escape.
The light will surely engulf all life in the Forest, including me, who has arrived here at this moment.
In an instant, the girl felt her vision stolen by the light, and death loomed before her.
But that's not true; that's not the case.