Chapter 694
Shirou's Magic Circuits had already begun to operate and automatically repair his injuries, but Leinys insisted on treating him.
"Come on, please take off your shirt."
The blonde girl urged them on, her eyes shining.
Isn't this mixed with personal motives...?
Shirou reluctantly took off his shirt, revealing his well-toned upper body.
"..."
Leinys' eyes widened, she swallowed hard, and pressed her fair fingers against the boy's skin.
After treating their wounds, they left the hunting lodge.
Shirou first went to Bersac's house to ask if he had seen Gray, and received the reply "no".
As Shirou and his companions prepared to leave and search other parts of the village—
What did you do to her?
The gravedigger stared at Shirou and asked.
If it were an ordinary person, they might have collapsed to the ground on the spot when faced with Bersac's sharp gaze.
I will explain it clearly later.
Shirou met his gaze and said calmly, "Please entrust Gray to me with peace of mind."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Bersac slowly turned his back.
"If you want to find Gray, go to the church's underground chambers."
After saying this, the old man carried the chopped wood back to his hut.
Even during the day, the empty church still exuded a slightly eerie atmosphere.
The church was surprisingly spacious, making the exquisite little village seem even more crowded.
The villagers were busy preparing for the evening's celebration, so no one was around the church.
While this is an opportunity, conversely, Shirou and Gray, as the main characters of the festival, don't have much time left.
Shirou and Leinys entered the unlocked church.
According to Bersac, the church should have a basement.
He walked past the bench, looked up at the stained glass, inspected the altar, and carefully checked each of the plates and cups on which the sacraments were placed.
Next, naturally, is the Black Madonna placed in the deepest part.
Leinys stopped beneath the statue of the Virgin Mary with her Child, looked up at the statue, and spoke.
"Now I finally understand why the savior embraced by the Black Madonna is Shirou."
"..."
Her words sent a chill down Shirou's spine.
From God's perspective, Arthur Pendragon (Shirou) in this script is a character created by Morgan.
From this perspective, she could indeed be considered Shirou's "biological mother".
However... this statue has been there for hundreds or even thousands of years!
Pan-Human History, the fifth century.
Morgan visited the village for the first time after King Arthur's death.
She was regarded by the villagers as the Black Madonna and began to work on the plan to resurrect Artoria.
The statue was likely built shortly after that, predating the church by a considerable margin.
Could it be that at that time, the child held in the arms of the Black Madonna was already Shirou?
Did Fae Consort foresee 1500 years ago that Shirou would come to this village in 2004!?
Morgan's Magecraft skills are undoubtedly on par with Merlin's, making him Grand- level player.
However, being a half-fairy and half-human, she did not possess "Clairvoyance" and could not possibly know what would happen 1500 years later.
More importantly, Shirou and Morgan of Pan-Human History —they only met for the first time yesterday!
"..."
Shirou decided to put the matter of the Pan-Human History. Morgan aside for now; his first priority was to find the path to the underground.
Infuse magic into the eyes.
Projection, start (Trace On).
Switch both eyes to Mystic Eyes that detect traces of magic.
Gray was also wearing Magic Crest that appeared to be a replica of Rhongomyniad; Shirou only needed to track the scent of the Holy Lance.
"This way, come with me."
"I've wanted to say this before, Shirou- sama, yours is way too cheating! Projection Mystic Eyes Mystic Eyes."
Leinys followed, muttering to herself.
"My Mystic Eyes a useless piece of junk except for changing color and generating heat, you know?"
"That's not it, Leinys, your Mystic Eyes are actually very useful... you just haven't grasped their capabilities yet."
"Huh! Is that so? What is my Mystic Eyes ability?"
Shh... we'll talk about it later.
Shirou held up one finger, and although Leinys' curiosity was piqued, she could only remain silent because the occasion was inappropriate.
She looked in the direction Shirou was facing, and when the astonishingly vast space appeared before her without warning, Leinys froze completely.
I almost let out a shameful cry.
In the vast underground space before them, numerous skeletons were scattered.
It wasn't just one or two skeletons, but dozens or even hundreds.
Countless skeletons, like pure white Azaka, covered the surroundings, as if proclaiming, "Welcome to the afterlife."
Shirou gazed at the scenery before him and murmured to Leinys.
"It seems this is... the real Blackmore Cemetery."
"... Are you here?"
Her longing echoed softly in the cave.
A masked girl sits atop a hill made of bones.
The armor, intertwined with the rocks, resembled flowers of iron.
If that's the case, then the skeleton beneath the girl might be her throne.
If we consider the skeletal soldiers constantly rising around her as her personal guards, then with the demeanor of a young girl, she could indeed be called a Queen of a nation.
The scene, which should send chills down your spine like something out of a horror movie, inexplicably exudes an eerie solemnity and majesty.
The Queen who guards the underworld, known as the Corpse King, slowly turned to the uninvited guest who had broken into her palace.
Three years have passed.
The Queen of Blackmoa did not speak through vibrations, but rather commanded the dead and the undead—voicing herself through thoughts.
"So you've come back after all. I told you before, you could never become that king with your own power."
She looked down at the visitors who were wearing cloaks and hoods.
She looked much more haggard than before; she must have suffered too many blows.
The Corpse King gazed tenderly at his immature half-body, saying nothing more than a murmured question.
"So, are you ready?"
"..."
The hooded girl mustered her courage and nodded earnestly.
"Yes, I won't run away anymore--"
Come! I want to become one with you, and then offer my whole self to my king!
Volume 9: Chapter 427 Artoria (Anti- Morgan Armor)
The Blackmoa Cemetery is actually hidden to the west of the village.
Upon learning the truth Shirou couldn't help but think of something.
In most mythologies around the world, the underworld is considered the afterlife.
This is the Underworld of Ereshkigal, and similar legends certainly exist in the Britain Isles.
The Land of Shadows," existing on the other side of the world, is inhabited by countless undead on the other side of the gate, along with their Queen who is also their gatekeeper.
The Blackmoa Cemetery that Shirou and his companions arrived at was, in his view, a small part of the Underworld.
He doesn't know what the real world is like yet, but some things are certain.
On this stage, set in 5th-century AD, in the divine age of Britain by "Logos React"—
This enormous underground cavity could truly be called the Underworld.
In ancient times, people always feared and avoided things related to death and darkness, so every mythological system has a king who rules the Underworld.
The undead are beings ruled by a powerful being, which is why people on earth are able to live in peace.
So, what is the condition of this cemetery?
Will there be King of the Dead like Ereshkigal or Scáthach here?
Just as Shirou was thinking this, a strange change occurred in the space filled with death.
The bones scattered all over the ground began to shake.
As if manipulated by invisible threads, they floated in the air, their bones assembling together.
And so, one by one, the skeletal soldiers stood up.
In their hands, they also carried weapons made from bones.
It could be a sword, a spear, or a bow and arrow.
Judging from their equipment, it's clear they were probably soldiers from ancient times.
What brought them back to life was the magic that filled the entire underground space.
"These guys... aren't undead?"
Shirou frowned, observing the skeleton soldiers' movements with his Mystic Eyes.
They were neither undead nor artificial soldiers like the Dragon Tooth Soldier; this was the first time Shirou had encountered such enemies.
"--Lord Shirou!"
Leinys shouted.
One of the bone soldiers turned to Shirou, and the moment he raised his weapon, his body seemed to explode with agility.
However, in the next instant, a sword blade appeared from the space around the boy and pierced through the skeleton soldier's body.
The skeleton soldier, whose spine had been broken, did not stop moving; instead, he used his hands to continue crawling towards Shirou.