Chapter 483
The dormitory for Heroic Spirit is quieter than before.
When Ushiwakamaru and Tomoe Gozen meet in the corridor, they no longer argue; they simply pass each other like strangers.
At dinner, there will be no more stand-up comedy performances by Ushiwakamaru and Musashibō Benkei.
When they returned to their dormitory after a long day of work, the kitchen no longer offered them any pleasant aromas.
Everything is irreversible.
Benkei.
"What's wrong?"
"Ever since Shirou arrived, I've been happy every day and very motivated at work... I might actually have always considered Shirou as an older brother."
"I see..."
"Um."
"Go ahead and cry, Ushiwakamaru."
"May I?"
"If it's only for today."
"Um."
The girl's head drooped, and her shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
"..."
Leonidas I recalled his first meeting with Shirou.
As a king and a military commander, he immediately sensed the boy's formidable strength.
Leonidas I had never seen such an amazing and battle-hardened warrior before.
Therefore, after Shirou explained his purpose, Leonidas I fully supported him, and they were finally able to defeat the Scorpion Man's sage.
What a pity, Shirou...
So young already...
With his talent and abilities, he could have grown into a hero who surpassed any myth.
Leonidas I clenched his fist involuntarily.
Rest assured, Shirou, I will carry on your will... and protect the Demonic Beast Front to the very end!
"..."
Standing beside the empty coffin, the high priest's face, veiled in black, was solemn.
Over the course of three months, Siduri had come to regard Shirou as someone like her younger brother.
This was not only because King Gilgamesh entrusted Shirou with all his authority.
The Servant summoned by the King are all heroes and great figures from history.
To Siduri, they were beings of immeasurable distance.
But Shirou is different.
Perhaps because he is also human, there is a strange sense of familiarity when talking to him.
It was this sense of warmth that made Siduri feel a little relaxed amidst her busy official duties.
However—precisely because Shirou was a living, breathing human being, Siduri felt a grief akin to losing a loved one when he passed away.
Not only himself, but probably the king thought the same way.
"..."
Gilgamesh remained silent, his face ashen.
He initially had no belief that Shirou would die in the Underworld.
"Don't talk nonsense, you idiot!"
Wang Bo was furious. "That guy defeated me in my prime, how could he lose his life for such a simple request!"
Investigating Enkidu's remains--
If it were Gilgamesh in the past, he would never have entrusted this task to anyone.
On one hand, he is no longer the tyrant (King of Heroes) of his youth; the Wise King Gilgamesh places the protection of Uruk and its people above all else.
On the other hand, it was also because Shirou was someone the king trusted.
I wouldn't entrust this to anyone else, but if it's Shirou...
Gilgamesh firmly believed that he too would be able to replicate his and Enkidu's great deeds and return from the Underworld with good news.
However, two and a half months have passed since then.
No matter how outstanding Shirou is, it's impossible for him to survive for so long in the Land of the Dead, where the Queen of the Underworld has already disappeared.
Shirou's whereabouts could not be found at all on the surface.
In the end, Gilgamesh could only accept the fact that the humans he cherished were dead.
Something's not right...
Halfway through the funeral, Gilgamesh frowned.
I have a feeling that I've overlooked something somewhere...
Just then, a commotion arose among the crowd at the entrance.
"Hey! What are you guys yelling about! Quiet down!"
King Gilgamesh couldn't help but shout.
"It's Lady Ishtar!"
"What did you say?"
"Lady Ishtar has attacked!" "Damn it! Why did she have to choose this time!"
"..."
Gilgamesh widened.
He recalled some unpleasant memories.
At the funeral of his close friend Enkidu, the goddess Ishtar, who was responsible for his murder, also visited.
The Goddess of the Sky looked down at me with a gleeful expression and shouted, "This is what happens when you oppose me! You deserve it, you piece of junk!" She struck a victorious pose.
Faced with such extreme provocation and humiliation, Gilgamesh remained completely silent from beginning to end.
He treated Ishtar like she didn't exist, simply wallowing in grief over the loss of his friend.
Gilgamesh was puzzled: Enkidu and Ishtar were sworn enemies, so it was understandable that she would attend Enkidu's funeral... but what was she doing at Shirou's funeral!?
The beautiful goddess Ishtar, with her long black hair, appeared expressionlessly at the entrance of the tower.
The crowd parted slowly to both sides like a sea split open by a prophet. Bathed in countless gazes, she walked toward Shirou's coffin as if no one else was there.
The metallic heels of high heels clicked crisply on the floor tiles, each step making the hearts of passersby clench.
What is Lady Ishtar doing? Stop right now!! You are not allowed to insult our hero!!!
Several young soldiers tried to rush forward to stop the goddess's next act of violence, but were stopped by their comrades.
Surprisingly, the goddess did not resort to violence or utter wild words as she usually did.
She quietly walked to the coffin, placed an Azaka and several jewels on it, then embraced Shirou's coffin and kissed it.
"!?!?!?"
This scene far exceeded everyone's expectations.
As one of the pillars of the "Three Goddess Alliance" that ravaged the earth, she was the most ferocious, tyrannical, and capricious mistress of the heavens in the Sumer world—
Ishtar is here to mourn Shirou Amamiya too!?
The goddess gazed longingly at Shirou's coffin, gently stroked it, and then quietly retreated to a corner.
She lowered her head, her black bangs falling down and obscuring the goddess's expression.
It seemed that Ishtar intended to continue attending the funeral as a participant, Gilgamesh ignored her.
However, an uproar broke out in the crowd.
"... it turns out."
Although everyone respected and loved Shirou, they never imagined, could never have imagined...
Even Ishtar paid tribute to Shirou Amamiya.
That's absolutely amazing.
People were stunned and shocked.
What exactly have we lost?
Although I know that Shirou Amamiya is amazing, but...
He was someone who could command the heartfelt respect of even the goddess Ishtar!
This can no longer be described with superficial terms like "great man" or "saint," can it?
Thinking of this, the citizens were overcome with grief, and the sobbing in the crowd grew louder, almost to the point of bursting into tears.
Shirou's funeral ended before nightfall.
The citizens dispersed quietly and orderly in the somber atmosphere, leaving only the tower of the king and his Servant once again desolate.
"Your Majesty, leave the rest of the work to me. You should get some rest tonight."
Siduri looked at the weary-looking King Gilgamesh and said.
Although Siduri has been extremely busy preparing for Shirou's funeral these past few days, she knows that the King is the most exhausted one.
"What nonsense are you talking about... I wasted a whole day on that guy's funeral, and I still have to finish my work for the day!"
Gilgamesh scoffed dismissively.
He turned around and looked at the Heroic Spirit below. "What are you all still standing here for? Go back now, don't you have work tomorrow?"
However, Gilgamesh noticed that everyone's gaze was focused in one direction—
He looked over there and saw the figure of a long-lost red-haired boy.
"Hey... Siduri..."
Gilgamesh's voice trembled violently.
"I think I should go back and rest... I'm even hallucinating; it seems I've been pushing myself too hard these past few days..."
"... No."
Siduri covered her mouth, shook her head, and said in a tearful voice, "My king, that wasn't your illusion..."
The high priest's shoulders began to tremble, but this time it wasn't from sadness, but from tears of joy.
"Wh... what!?"
Gilgamesh looked at the boy's figure again.
I blinked, and sure enough, it wasn't my imagination or a hallucination.
The red-haired boy, Shirou Amamiya, proudly raised his chin.
"Yo, Gilgamesh, it's been a long time. I've returned from the Underworld."
Gilgamesh showed a rare expression of shock.
But he quickly relaxed and smiled.
What are you so surprised about...?