Chapter 472
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Volume 7: Chapter 307 Shirou Descends to the Underworld!
"What's wrong with that guy...?"
Ishtar, who had been tailing Shirou and his group, frowned as she watched the green-haired youth appear in the forest.
He told Shirou the name "Enkidu" --
No, that's not Enkidu.
Not the piece of junk (Enkidu) that the goddess despises the most.
"That guy is... This is bad! We have to expose him right away!"
Just as Ishtar was preparing to fly over and cause trouble, thwarting the other side's plan—
Shirou stabbed the man who called himself "Enkidu" through the chest from behind.
"Master? What are you doing!?"
Seeing this sudden scene, Tomoe Gozen was so shocked that she couldn't speak.
Compared to her, Enkidu, whose body was pierced, appeared remarkably composed.
He calmly asked, "Why would you do such a thing, Mr. Shirou?"
"You just referred to yourself Enkidu, didn't you? That's very strange."
Is there anything strange about it?
Shirou said, "The King Gilgamesh I saw in Uruk, although he looked very young, was not the King of Heroes— "
Actually, it refers to the time of the Wise King Gilgamesh after he returned from searching for the herb of immortality.
The reason that king went to search for the spiritual herb was because he was spurred by the death of his close friend Enkidu.
"... ah!"
Tomoe Gozen covered her mouth and gasped in surprise.
"Since the search for immortality has ended, it means that Enkidu of this era is already dead!"
Even though she only gained the most basic knowledge from the Holy Grail, she still understood the problem through Shirou's explanation.
Enkidu, who is already dead, could not possibly have existed as a native of Mesopotamia.
Tomoe Gozen drew her sword. "Who exactly are you!?"
Enkidu lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.
"Hehe... hehehehe, hehehehehehehe!"
"!?"
"But that's true. These kinds of lies, these kinds of impromptu performances, are bound to be exposed instantly!"
The atmosphere surrounding green-haired youth has changed drastically.
That gentle, nature-like feeling vanished, replaced by an aura of utter malevolence.
Suddenly, countless chains surged from the ground, aiming at Shirou.
Taking advantage of his dodge, Enkidu escaped from the blade of the Enma-Blade and flew into the sky.
Even though he had been pierced through the chest, he seemed to be mostly unharmed, and his body repaired itself in the blink of an eye.
On one hand, Shirou did indeed show mercy.
More importantly--
His heart (the Mana Core) seems to be something special.
"Nice to meet you, Old Humanity."
The green-haired youth stood in mid-air, looking down with a contemptuous expression and a hateful gaze.
"Just as rumored, he's ruthless and brutal... No wonder you were able to defeat Kitabliel."
Normally, you wouldn't draw your sword just because someone's identity is suspicious.
Is there not a possibility—that I am a masterless Servant summoned by this land?
You smell familiar to me.
Shirou couldn't possibly be mistaken.
That was the aura of calamity he had fought countless times in the Fae Kingdom.
Ash once said that, from the perspective of Magecraft, the calamities that occurred in the Fae Kingdom were essentially enemies of humanity (Threat to Humanity).
No matter how well the green-haired youth tried to hide it, Shirou could sense a similar aura from him.
"Who exactly are you?" Shirou asked in a deep voice.
"I am Enkidu," the green-haired youth answered loudly.
Enkidu is already dead.
After the boy said that, the other person looked at him with disdain.
"Since I can speak like Enkidu and possess the same abilities as Enkidu, then I am Enkidu himself."
You humans are the ones who are wrong! Why would you assume that Enkidu would necessarily be an ally of humanity?
Indeed, all humans are failures, and among these failures, you are an outstanding one.
"I'm a weapon created by the gods, you know? It's only natural that I'd stand on the goddess's side, isn't it?"
What a pity, I was planning to offer you to the goddess ahead.
"My lord, our conversation ends here!"
Tomoe Gozen stood in front of Shirou, her weapon wreathed in flames.
Based on his previous remarks, it's clear that this guy is indeed an enemy on the "Three Goddess Alliance" side.
Enkidu raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Are we going to start a war? You don't actually think you have a chance of winning, do you?"
While we were talking, tens of thousands of Magical Beasts had already surrounded this place.
It's all your fault for killing the Scorpionmen, forcing me to personally command the Magical Beast.
Well... I guess bringing Mother her head should be enough to appease her.
Alright, Old Humanity! That's enough!
You'll just lament your own weakness while envying the power of perfect weapons, and then you'll just end up in the junkyard!
Enkidu's magical power surged at a rate doubling every second, and he raised his hand to launch an attack on Shirou.
However, just as the earth began to tremble, several beams of light fell from the higher sky, surrounding Enkidu from all directions.
"!?"
Enkidu narrowly escaped the attack, but lost his balance in the process.
At the same time, a female voice entered Shirou and Tomoe Gozen's minds.
"Take this opportunity and escape!!"
The two exchanged a glance, nodded in unison, and then simultaneously turned and ran.
Engaging Enkidu head-on is not a wise strategy; they are currently surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Magical Beasts.
The most urgent task now is to report this matter to King Gilgamesh immediately.
"... Don't even think about escaping!!"
Enkidu roared.
Along Shirou and his companions' escape route, weapons such as swords, spears, axes, and chains poured out of the ground in massive numbers, surging forth like a tidal wave.
However, the weapons, imbued with powerful magic, were knocked away by the swords Projection by Shirou as soon as they were launched from the ground.
... I was definitely faster!
Shirou deduced that this imposter Enkidu's attack possessed properties similar to Gilgamesh's "Gate of Babylon" and his own "Lake of Holy Swords."
Each shot is far more powerful than "Projection Magic," but it also has a longer activation time.
Therefore, once we know the location where it will be launched, we can deal with it relatively easily.
The blades that shot out from behind Shirou deflected the attacks coming from the ground, creating a safe escape route.
After eliminating the few remaining Magical Beast blocking their path, Shirou escaped from the northern forest.
The imposter Enkidu failed to catch up.
He should have a speed far exceeding that of Shirou and Tomoe Gozen, but he seemed to be held back by something, unable to break free and chase after Shirou.
"My lord, let's return to Uruk immediately."
Even for a moment, we must inform everyone about the imposter Enkidu as soon as possible, before any new victims appear.
"Ahh."
Shirou nodded absentmindedly and followed Tomoe Gozen's footsteps.
Who was that very familiar female voice that just saved me...?
After traveling all night, Shirou and his party arrived in Uruk the next morning.
Uruk soldiers stood at the gate, checking caravans and refugees entering the city.
"Shirou, you're back!"
Several guards in the long line noticed Shirou; they were all people who had received help from Shirou in the past.
Seriously, isn't Homonculus's high school uniform a bit too conspicuous in this era?
"I heard you were assigned a very dangerous mission by the King. Your return means..."
Shirou nodded and said, "Ah, I bring good news for King Gilgamesh."
The guards erupted in cheers.
"As expected of Shirou!" "The King will be very pleased!"
One of the guards noticed the woman next to Shirou.
"Hmm? Shirou, who is this woman beside you?"
"!"
Tomoe Gozen noticed people staring at her strange, unusual horns and unconsciously took a half-step back.
But the red-haired boy grabbed her hand, preventing her from escaping.
Shirou smiled and explained, "This is Tomoe Gozen, who has been fighting against the Magical Beast at the northern fortress ever since. Haven't you heard of her heroic deeds?"
"Why?"
"You... you must be Tomoe Gozen!"
"I've heard about you! You've single-handedly killed four-figure numbers of Magical Beast so far, you're the top shooter on the Demonic Beast Front!"
Faced with the enthusiastic guards and citizens, the female warrior looked somewhat bewildered.
"Alright, alright, we have important matters to report to King Gilgamesh now, let's save the chit-chat for tonight at the tavern."
After bidding farewell to everyone, Tomoe Gozen glared at Shirou with a resentful look.
"My lord is truly wicked. He knows perfectly well that Ba is not good at handling those lively occasions... yet he deliberately stirs up everyone's emotions."
"Baba is a hero of this city, so he should just stand tall and accept everyone's praise."
Didn't I tell you? Nobody here will be afraid of you because of your eyes and ghost horns.
"Ah... I understand."