Chapter 518

Volume 7: Chapter 332 Shirou, My Hero!

The group walking through the cedar forest felt the ground tremor coming from afar.

"The war has begun..."

"Ah, the first wave of the Magical Beast horde has crossed City of Nippur and is expected to make contact with the Northern Wall defenders in five minutes. They are led by Enkidu... no, Kingu, the commander of the 'Eleven Children of Tiamat'!"

Dr. Roman kept the traveling group updated on the situation on the front lines.

"The horde is less than 500 meters from the Northern Wall... The two sides have officially engaged in battle."

"Quetzal Coatl has finished keeping Kingu in check... As long as she's here, Kingu won't come here!"

Merlin showed a satisfied expression. "Very good, the operation went very smoothly. Quetzal Coatl, that guy, is quite skilled at instigation."

Alright, we need to hurry... Although Leonidas and Ishtar are on the front lines, facing that number of Magical Beast, large-scale casualties are only a matter of time.

From now on, there's no rest; we need to advance at top speed, everyone!

The five-person team heading to the Blood Temple consists of Shirou, Ritsuka, Mash, Merlin, and Ana.

According to the original plan, Ishtar should also have been one of the members.

However, considering that as the goddess of war and victory, she would be more inspiring to the Uruk soldiers if she remained on the battlefield than to carry out assassinations, the current personnel composition was ultimately decided upon.

After clearing out the scattered Magical Beast in the cedar forest, Dr. Roman detected the exact coordinates of the Blood Temple.

"Wait! Stop, Merlin! There's Coatl extremely strong divine reaction 300 meters ahead! It's the Blood Temple! Quickly send a signal to Quetzal!"

Two days ago, the group discussed and decided on the battle plan at the Uruk Temple.

That is to directly destroy the outer wall of the temple with Axe of Marduk.

After three days of transport, the divine axe has been moved from Eridu to the Northern Wall.

However, there is still a distance of about 30 kilometers from the Northern Wall to the temple, enough to throw Axe of Marduk, which has the mass of a city, directly there.

Even something Coatl Quetzal accomplish.

While it is possible, such an act would be tantamount to breaking the covenant that "the Three Goddess Alliance cannot attack each other."

Even the supreme divinity of South America would be instantly annihilated, so she cannot attack directly.

"It's okay, it's okay. You just need to throw it in the cedar forest, and we'll take care of the rest."

At that time, this is what Merlin said...

As the Flower Magus spoke, he wrapped a red cloth strip around the divine axe, signifying that he would take responsibility for guiding the axe's trajectory.

"...?"

Shirou narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but Merlin nudged him with his elbow, telling him to shut up.

"Okay, let's begin!"

Merlin raised his wand high. "Leave it to me! Britain Magecraft Artoria, dinner's ready—incantation!"

Boom--!

A blinding beam of light shot out from the wand, trailing a long, fiery tail as it soared into the sky.

Mash squinted, startled by the flash. "A flashbang!? Something like a flashbang was fired, Senpai!"

The next instant, a giant axe, hundreds of meters long, blotted out the sky and flew towards them.

"We'll all be affected! Merlin, you idiot!" Ana yelled.

But the Flower Magus remained unhurried, revealing an innocent smile, and then--

"Oops, sorry... my hand slipped!"

He threw the wand he was using to guide the landing point at the Blood Temple.

"So that's how it is..." Shirou closed his eyes.

"Hey!?" The girls were dumbfounded.

"Fou!"

Merlin must die!

With the colossal statue exploding and the earth trembling as if tearing it apart, the distant temple was instantly shattered.

Immediately afterwards, from the distant Northern Wall came the furious Quetzal of Coatl.

"Su-i-ci-da!!!!!!?"

Mash's face turned deathly pale. "Miss Quetzal's screams could be heard from Babylon, several kilometers away... That one... is already..."

Shirou shook his head. "No, Quetzal is still alive. "Coatl

Because the action was not of one's own volition, the punishment under the contract was not severe... perhaps half of one's divinity was lost?

Ana sighed softly, "Ugh... what a nasty incident..."

Merlin shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it since my hand slipped."

I never imagined the staff would become a compass, guiding the axe in the wrong place. What a failure, what a failure.

He paused, squinting at the towering Blood Temple three hundred meters ahead—at this moment, a massive axe blade was thrust straight into the top of the temple, cracks spreading out like a spider web.

However, in the end, Axe of Marduk didn't fall here; instead, it plunged straight into the Blood Temple.

But thanks to this, everything is going smoothly, everyone! We can't let Quetzal Coatl's precious sacrifice go to waste!

Let's get back to what we're supposed to do! Come on, the final battle is finally here!!

The group stepped into the dilapidated entrance to the temple.

The Blood Temple, as the name suggests, is a temple made of flesh and blood.

Unidentifiable flesh and blood tissue covered the entire underground area, its complex structure resembling a giant anthill.

The air was as thick as the viscera of a living creature, and the walls were covered with dark red veins that connected to one purple cocoon bubble after another, seemingly breathing and pulsating.

In the dim light, a huge Shadow wriggled within the cocoon.

"There seems to be some Shadow inside..." Mash said, her voice trembling.

Ana stood silently at the front, her fingers clenching slightly beneath her cloak.

Merlin shook his head slightly, his voice as low as a sigh, "It's best not to look. It's not something pleasant."

But Mash had already seen it.

She suddenly covered her mouth.

"... This is... this... these Shadow are--!"

The girl initially believed that what was breathing inside the cocoon was Magical Beast waiting to hatch, but the truth was far more cruel—

Those were monsters that still resembled humans, human bodies forcibly rewritten as Magical Beasts.

On his distorted face lay numb pain and resigned despair.

Ritsuka Fujimaru grasped her junior's hand. "Let's go, Mash... it's time to go deeper."

Mash bit her lip. "But... but! They're all still alive! Even after all that... everyone... is still alive...!"

"No, they're beyond saving... We should go, Mash."

Shirou patted her on the shoulder.

"Mr. Shirou...!"

Roman's voice rang out anxiously. "Everyone, hurry up!"

Kingu has realized our intentions and has broken away from the front lines, heading towards you at high speed!

If this drags on any longer, you'll be facing Gorgon and the Kingu at the same time!

Ana turned around, her purple eyes flashing with a resolute look.

"I'll lead the way; I know the Gorgon's dormitories."

"Huh? Why would Ana do that?"

Shan died o? Qi 2'? (el two/)iv Ba Si Mash felt very strange.

"... I'm sorry, Mash, but I still need to ask you for a favor."

Ana murmured, "Now is the time for battle. To defeat the Gorgon, please lend me your strength."

The group arrived at the lowest level of the Blood Temple.

This place felt like the stomach of a living organism, an indescribable feeling of suffocation pressing down on everyone.

"She's here."

Merlin pointed into the depths of darkness. "I see it, the Mother of Magical Beast, Goddess Tiamat..."

No, it's the composite divinity of Gorgon! Your divinity has fallen to rock bottom! It's time to accept your fate and show yourself!

Boom!!

The wall suddenly cracked.

A giant, snake-haired Magical Beast slowly rose from the sea of blood.

The monster, already over 150 meters long, seemed even more imposing in the oppressive and enclosed environment of the Blood Temple.

"Who are you...?"

Gorgon scanned the crowd with his crimson snake eyes.

"So you're from the Uruk King's realm... I was just about to go looking for you, your arrival saves me the trouble."

"Your revenge ends here, Gorgon."

"Who are you...!"

Gorgon finally noticed the red-haired boy.

Although she didn't show it, you could sense her wavering.

In the last battle, she felt her fate (death) from Shirou's blade.

If Enkidu hadn't intervened in time, Gorgon might have already died from those twin blades that spewed forth hellfire.

But... that time it was because I underestimated my opponent.

It was because he underestimated the other party that he allowed such flying insects to approach him.

Even the most dangerous poisonous insect can be crushed before it gets close.

Gorgon had no doubt about the power he possessed.

Even though the Blood Temple was destroyed by the Axe of Makdull, which reduced her divinity by half, she is still a great Magical Beast and goddess who wields the Holy Grail.

Slaughtering all these humans deep within the Blood Temple would be easy, but--

"If we could meet again in another way, I would like to be your companion..."

The words I heard that day inexplicably echoed deep within my mind.

"I've changed my mind. You're different from other humans; you really do have something special about you."

The Goddess of Demonic Beasts looked down at Shirou, then revealed a bewitching smile.

"His name... is it Shirou? Kingu mentioned it to me."

"So, human, would you like to become my child?"

"Varied...!?"

Ritsuka and Mash stared wide-eyed.

Mr. Shirou! Don't let "Goddess Special Attack" work where it shouldn't!

"Shirou, you're not a human from this era, are you? If that's the case, there's no reason for you to fight for the humans of this era."

No... there are actually reasons.