Chapter 638
Because of his good fortune, he met important friends and gained a human heart.
Even so, he is still a "prop," and his proper purpose is to be used until he can no longer be used.
Enkidu felt only sympathy for the Bull of Heaven, who, like himself, was bossed around by the goddess and had no way to disobey.
However, no matter how much sympathy one feels, one must still do what one is supposed to do.
Before his death, Enkidu and his friends killed Gugalanna to protect the people of Uruk.
Now, he must eliminate the threat for his Master's safety—by killing Gugalanna once again.
Seeing the expression on the silver wolf's face, Enkidu gently stroked its fur.
"I'm sorry... I made you worry, Master."
Don't worry, I'll be back soon... If anything happens to me, go find that blonde girl...
He stopped talking halfway through his explanation.
Enkidu turned his gaze to the side.
Three Magecraft I'd never met before stood there.
"Wow... I never thought a chimera would actually become Master!"
One of the blond, curly-haired boys sniffed the air. "The smell of wild beasts, so long missed since entering Snowfield!"
"..."
Enkidu slowly rose to his feet, casting a hostile glance at the young Magecraft who had arrived at the top floor.
"Wait, Spin, don't say something so rude all of a sudden!"
"That Heroic Spirit is staring at us with a terrifying look, what should we do?"
Enkidu's hostility threw the other two Magecraft into a panic.
However, the boy called Spin walked towards the silver wolf as if nothing had happened.
From the moment he started speaking, Enkidu felt that his Master was being mocked, and was therefore very unhappy.
Just as he was about to grab Spin by the back of his collar—
The boy's body radiated Magecraft glow, and Spin Goulacht's appearance began to change.
Its slender body bulged with muscles, making it look like a werewolf, a Phantasmal Beast, and it grew body hairs as hard as metal needles.
It was a giant, bipedal wolf that appeared to be a Phantasmal Beast werewolf, but it hadn't actually transformed into an orc.
Spin is a beastly form that gathers so much magic power that it is visible to the naked eye, allowing everyone to see Magecraft illusion of orcs—a state some Magecraft call the Phantasmal Wolf Transformation.
The werewolf-like boy knelt on one knee before the silver wolf, extending his hand with claws as sharp as daggers.
Although the silver wolf was initially a little scared, it was indeed because of their similar appearance and aura that it trembled as it touched its paws with Spin.
"Okay, then we're friends."
The Werewolf Youth smiled and rubbed against the silver wolf as he spoke.
Enkidu: "..."
The Magecraft, who had come with Spin, spoke up, "Can we talk, Lancer?"
Spin's behavior earned Enkidu's favor, so he asked, "What exactly is it?"
Another Magecraft spoke up, "Would you be interested in working together to uncover the truth behind this Holy Grail War?"
Thus, while Shirou and El-Melloi Classroom's group set off for the battlefield, some members actually broke away to meet with the Saber and lancers.
They persuaded the Saber and spearmen to put on a show to confuse the mastermind who was hiding in the shadows, reluctant to show himself, and adept at escaping.
That said, the fight between Ishtar and Enkidu didn't seem like a mere charade... Did they genuinely want to kill each other?
In short, the plan is progressing smoothly.
Francesca and her Servant were focused on the battle below, completely unaware that Shirou had infiltrated the workshop.
Incidentally, Shirou noticed Francesca's Magecraft workshop during his aerial battle with Tia Erskides.
Although a concealment illusion was cast, Shirou still sensed its presence upon getting close.
During his battle with Richard I, Shirou unleashed his Fae Domain.
"Fae Domain: Unlimited Blade Works" has an illusion effect that can cause people to feel a sense of time distortion. Shirou took advantage of this time difference to enter Francesca's Magecraft workshop.
"Alright, please come with me."
A loud female voice rang out in the dimly lit room.
Also infiltrating the airship with Shirou were Rin and Luvia, the heroines of El-Melloi Classroom.
One of them crossed her arms over her chest, while the other stood with one hand on her hip, keeping a watchful eye on the two members of the Caster group.
"I advise you not to act rashly, otherwise I wouldn't mind causing some kind of accident to happen to this spaceship."
"I'm going to sue you for trespassing..."
"Bang!"
The gem that shot from Luvia's fingertips drew a beautiful parabola and shattered Francesca's crystal ball.
She is now completely different from the 16-year-old girl.
Through daily "friendly sparring" with Rin Tohsaka, Luvia Zelitt's Magecraft skills improved rapidly.
Although it was just a casual strike, its power was almost like that of a cannonball.
While it would still pose little threat to Heroic Spirit or Divine Era Magus, it would be quite easy to blow Francesca's head off on the spot.
"Waaah..."
Francesca and Prelati had no idea that they, as the masterminds behind the scenes, would become the prey of the pawns.
Shirou Amamiya--
It's impossible to win a direct confrontation with the monster that defeated Gilgamesh, but...
Even if they are confronted, they still have ways to escape.
Francesca, after countless body changes, could no longer return to her prime, but Prelati, as Servant, was different.
His mastery of illusion was so profound that it was enough to deceive the world.
If it's just Shirou, illusions probably won't have much of a chance.
However, his only miscalculation was that he also brought two other girls with him.
Francesca grabbed the parasol beside the bed, Luvia frowned slightly. "Didn't I tell you not to do anything rash?"
To this, the girl replied with a cheerful expression, "I'll go with you, but at least let us take our belongings, right? Even suspects should have human rights!"
So why an umbrella?
"Uh, that's not the point, is it?"
Luvia frowned upon hearing Rin Tohsaka's question.
However, Francesca, who was hugging the parasol in the room, showed an excited expression.
"That's a great question! Your observation skills are excellent! I love people who react like this!"
After the girl finished speaking, the boy hugged her waist.
They can achieve this level of understanding even without speaking, because they are essentially the same person.
Francesca slowly opened her umbrella, revealing a sly smile, and said:
"The answer is simple: we're about to fall now!"
The next moment--
The room, workshop, and airship where everyone was standing disappeared, leaving Shirou and the others exposed at an altitude of 10,000 meters, rapidly plummeting downwards.
Prelati possesses the same A-rank illusion magic as Merlin (♂), a level at which she is capable of interfering with reality.
Furthermore, Shirou and his companions were also shrouded in another type of illusion—
That is the illusion that "humans cannot fly".
François Prierate's Noble Phantasm, "The Castle of the Conch does not exist, therefore the madness of the world is endless (Grand Illusion)."
This is Noble Phantasm that he created through a combination of his illusion techniques and bloodline.
It can even transcend the environment, Magecraft the very structure of the world, and can even create subjective cognitive illusions in the enemy.
He forcibly instilled in Shirou and the others the idea that "humans cannot fly."
For a moment, the group was unable to use Magecraft related to flight and could only helplessly plummet downwards.
Bye-bye~~~
Francesca, floating in the sky with her parasol, waved to the crowd.
Shirou stopped falling after only a short distance, releasing his "Rainbow Mage's Eye" to break the illusion Caster had placed on him.
However, Rin Tohsaka and Luvia's descent could not be stopped, and they were temporarily unable to use their flight Magecraft.
The choice has appeared--
If Shirou goes to rescue Rin and Luvia, then Caster and the others will escape.
But if Rin and Luvia are left unattended, they could very well fall to their deaths from a height of 10,000 meters.
"..."
In a split second, Shirou reached a conclusion.
He looked up at Caster, who was floating above him, leaning against a parasol and looking quite pleased, and began to speak.
"You... seem to be descendants of some god, don't you?"
"... Huh?"
The smiles on the faces of the gothic teenagers, who had just been beaming with joy, thinking they had escaped death, vanished.
"Why... how do you know about that kind of thing...?"
Because the "Rainbow Mage's Eye" is really useful, you know?
As Shirou said, they Non-human, but children of God.
They weren't even demigods like Alcides or Hippolyta; they were the offspring of a goddess who had been exiled.
The infamous evil goddess in Greek Mythology, daughter of Zeus and Eris.
The code name is "p000τη (Ate)".
A sentient being capable of shaking reason, confusing gods, humans, and the world, and controlling "madness".
Unlike other gods, she does not possess flesh and blood or a body of steel, but exists as a software program, drifting in an ocean of information composed of wisdom and knowledge.
It wasn't caused by a bug or malicious intent; it was necessary from the start—like ballast water in the hull of a ship, an auxiliary mechanism set up to uphold the laws and principles of the world.
However, one day—the changes caused by the interaction between gods and humans, and those born at the intersection of them—led Zeus, the chief god, to personally deem Ate "useless."
Its system also banished the world network of gods while in a frozen state.
According to legend--
Enraged Zeus grabbed Ate by the hair and threw her into the land inhabited by humans, causing change.
The place where the goddess of folly fell was a land called Troy.
After that, the goddess spread evil across the earth, causing numerous wars and disasters.
However, this is merely one perspective from humankind.
It's about people blaming all their mistakes and crimes on an unpopular goddess, claiming they were just temporarily infatuated.
Is this true?
Of course not.
The goddess Ate did nothing; the Troy War was entirely humanity's own doing.