Chapter 626
"Rin Tohsaka... Is this woman someone Shirou knows?"
On the way through the lakes and marshes surrounding Snowfield toward the valley, Haruri couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
I heard that Rider's current hairstyle was done by a woman named Rin Tohsaka.
When she was summoned, the Queen wore her hairstyle and equipment from her previous life... but the Master said that it would be too conspicuous for her to materialize in the city like that, so they tied her up like this now—a headband that would obviously be more eye-catching.
"He'll understand as soon as he sees that hairstyle."
Rin Tohsaka had made a solemn vow to Rider.
As a result, although Shirou was somewhat concerned about her hairstyle, he never thought about it in that way at all.
Finally! After mass-producing Artoria's face, Artoria hairstyle also gone into mass production!?
Seeing that Shirou didn't react, Rider had no choice but to give the name "Rin Tohsaka".
Shirou, who had initially shown no interest in Rider, changed his attitude upon hearing the name, which greatly concerned Haruri.
"It is indeed someone I know," Shirou replied somewhat perfunctorily.
"It's probably not as simple as just 'someone I know'..." the girl muttered to herself.
Shirou was also somewhat confused.
He tried to put himself in Rin's shoes and found things to be very complicated.
First, let's assume that "Rin of this world" and "Shirou of this world" know each other.
So, Rin Tohsaka essentially discovered an acquaintance whose age had stopped several years ago and who was still a high school student when she intervened in the Holy Grail War overseas.
It's understandable that Rin Tohsaka wants to communicate with me and confirm the situation.
How should I explain this? Should I honestly admit that I'm "Shirou from another world"?
No, before that...
Shirou frowned.
What's causing this strange feeling in my chest, this uncontrollable restlessness?
I feel like I've missed something somewhere...
"By the way, did Tohsaka say anything when she mentioned me?"
No, why do you ask that?
Rider looked at Shirou with an incredulous expression and replied, "You should know her better than I do, right? Ask her when you see her."
Really...
Shirou thought to himself: Rider is treating me like someone who is very close to Rin Tohsaka.
Even if Rin Tohsaka and Shirou in this world are truly close, would she possibly show this kind of attitude towards a friend whose age has regressed by several years?
By the way, Rider is in a very good mood right now.
Since the Rider's mount cannot carry four people, it has now become a system where two people ride together on one horse.
Shirou and Haruri rode one horse, while the Queen and Tiné shared one.
Tiné sat in Rider's lap, who had a happy expression on his face.
"Your real name is Hippolyta, isn't it?" Shirou asked.
"Did you hear that from Tiné?" Rider raised an eyebrow.
She once declared in front of Tiné that she was the Amazons warrior captain who had been killed by the hero Heracles, which was almost equivalent to announcing her identity.
"Sorry..."
"Ah, I'm not angry with you, Miss Tiné... You're so clever, you even guessed my real name, hehe."
The Queen, who was supposed to be proud and aloof, smiled at the young girl.
Not the True Assassin type, but the Atalanta type...? This guy?
"That's right, my real name is Hippolyta-- "
The sons of Otrera Ares, and Otres, the Miko of Artemis, belonged to the glorious Amazons tribe.
Sergeant Captain
That's why I'm so obsessed with Alcides.
Upon hearing Shirou's statement, Hippolyta frowned in displeasure.
"I'll put my grudge against that avenger aside for now."
The young Queen lowered her eyes and continued:
"The 'enemy' that my Master want to discuss with you... is the mastermind behind this Holy Grail War."
"..."
"We'll be there soon. Let me reiterate, we have no hostile intentions. After the cooperation ends, our relationship may change depending on your objectives, but at least... what!"
Before Hippolyta could finish speaking, she suddenly looked towards the city.
Chimneys in the industrial area in the distance.
The aura emanating from the Queen's enemy rapidly expanded at that peak.
Compared to when they first met a few days ago, the black archer's unusual aura had become even more chaotic, and it also carried an illogical magical power.
Then, what confronted Alcides at this moment was another incredibly powerful and immense magical force.
A sacred, majestic aura, an aura of divinity not belonging to this era, spread across the sky.
"Lord Ishtar!?"
Haruri sensed the aura of a goddess.
It seems that Ishtar (Filia) found Alcides's stronghold before Shirou and his group.
The battle for the legendary Pokémon, Gugalanna, has begun.
"What should we do... Mr. Shirou? Should we go and meet up with the goddess?"
Haruri said nervously, "We have to go and reinforce Lady Ishtar!"
Although the girl firmly believed that Ishtar was the strongest, most beautiful, and greatest god, her opponent was, after all, the terrifying demon Alcides, and she could not remain calm.
After a brief silence, the boy shook his head and said to the Rider who was looking at him, "Continue leading the way. Let me see your masters."
"Oh dear, it seems I've won this competition!"
The silver-haired, crimson-eyed Artificial Lifeform stood in the sky, its beautiful expression freezing everything in its path, looking down at the pitch-black demon below.
"Competition?"
Alcides frowned slightly, and the silver-haired goddess played with her long hair on her shoulder as she spoke.
"That's right, Shirou and I are having a contest to see who can find your hiding place first."
That guy seemed to be having a lot of fun with the girl, so I guess I won this competition. I should ask him what reward he wants next.
"... Hoo." The demon let out a sneer.
"What's so funny?"
After the goddess asked this question, a bow that was far too large and ostentatious for a human race appeared in the demon's left hand.
Even if we find the enemy's stronghold...
"If we can't get back alive, even if we win, it'll be meaningless."
"You don't need to worry about that, after all—"
The Heavenly Mistress reflected the demon's form in her crimson eyes, revealing a charming yet cruel and cunning smile.
"Killing you is also part of the competition."
"..."
Alcides gave a disdainful snort and raised his great bow toward Ishtar in the air.
"Arrogant goddess, let me tell you the truth."
So-called gods—rather than standing in the heavens, crawling on the ground is the truly despicable thing you should be doing.
As he spoke, Alcides was enveloped in a strange magical power that resembled a scorching poison.
That power was not something Heracles, the Great Hero, originally possessed, but rather a power he gained after immersing himself in the "Black Mud."
The fact that Alcides was willing to go to such lengths to slaughter the gods is precisely why he is the avenger.
"------" Nine Lives (Nine Lives)"
With the black demon's whisper, nine arrows nocked on the bowstring were released.
The bow he wielded was forged in a mysterious and intense era, a powerful bow that absorbed the blood and magic of enemies from countless battlefields.
This was the magic bow that Heracles later gave to Philoctetes to kill the Troy hero Paris, and which became famous for it.
That indestructible string cannot be pulled by ordinary Heroic Spirit; it requires extraordinary skill and strength to even be used.
Alcides, however, easily drew the bowstring taut and shot nine arrows at the Goddess of Heaven.
The arrow created a whirlwind the moment it left the bowstring.
The magic of the Black Mud and the Hydra Poison coated on the arrows intertwined in a complex way, causing a massive distortion in space and passing through the gap between heaven and earth.
"Boom------!"
Dust filled the sky, swirling around the world and distorting it with the distortion caused by the flying arrows, turning it black and transforming it into a colossal beast.
Hydra.
Just as Alcides, when he was still a hero, had personally slain the monsters, the arrows transformed into nine-headed, nine-jawed venomous serpents, rushing toward the goddess to devour her.
That wasn't an illusion, nor a summoning Magecraft, but a truly miraculous skill.
The monster conjured by "Nine Lives" negated all cause and effect and laws, and flew wildly through the sky.
In order to crush the doll that proclaimed itself a goddess before Alcides --
"The Mediterranean Sea monster is really not graceful at all."
The silver-haired goddess shrugged casually.
While "Nine Lives" isn't even Noble Phantasm, its power is undoubtedly at the level of an enemy city.
The goddess, however, didn't take him seriously at all.
Faced with an attack powerful enough to shatter a god's core, she simply raised a hand and smiled.
Simply by doing this, the nine trajectories began to distort.
Like a monster out of control, nine arrows swirled in the air, and then—
The phantom of the Hydra changed direction and, without slowing down at all, raced towards its master who had released it.
"How is that possible...?"
Bazdilot, Alcides' Master, whose mouth twitched as he witnessed this scene from the shadows.
"Even the arrows shot by the archers (Avengers) can be Charm by her?"
This is something that the remnants of a god who descended upon androids could never have accomplished; it can be considered a true god.
"Hoo hoo, good boy?"
Amidst the goddess's laughter, the Hydra shattered Alcides's foothold in an instant.
The demon leaped into the distance before being affected by the attack; the venom on the arrows left him no room for complacency.
But Hydra did not stop there.
Possessing precision-guided capabilities (Nine Lives), they will not stop until they have completely devoured their enemies.
Ishtar watched from the sky, clapping and applauding happily.
"Show me the same myth you used to teach this kid. How did you defeat him back then?"