Chapter 698
"..."
In the quiet cemetery, only the girl's murmurs echoed.
"Mom... actually did this for me..."
Shirou looked at the Artoria the Miko again—no, now she could only be called the Corpse King.
Even if this is a scenario-based world, she is still not considered Artoria if she is only half of her.
She asked, distraught, "... Did I fail?"
"That's right," Shirou said expressionlessly.
"But it wasn't me who defeated you, it was an ordinary, unarmed village woman."
He didn't want to say anything like "the power of maternal love is limitless," which is illogical and idealistic.
However, in terms of the outcome, Gray's mother even surpassed the world-destroying weapon, the greatest masterpiece of the Atlas Institute.
She successfully deceived everyone, including the scriptwriter "Logos React".
The spirit particle computing machine, capable of endlessly gathering information, possesses near-omniscient knowledge and computational power.
But until the very end, she never realized that Gray's mother was actually her protector, and just let the story head in a direction that led to failure.
"Now, I'm going to separate you from Gray's mother."
With that, Shirou, holding the Erosion Blade Gold, walked up to the Corpse King.
The latter said nothing more, but simply watched as the dagger pierced his body.
"Mother!"
Gray rushed up to her anxiously.
"It's alright, it won't be life-threatening, Leinys, help treat her wounds."
Shirou handed the unconscious woman to Leinys.
Gray watched as her mother's wounds gradually healed in the Magecraft light, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then the Silver-haired girl turned to the red-haired boy beside her and tugged at his sleeve.
"Um... Your Majesty, I have something I want to say to you..."
After I calmed down, I carefully considered what you said...
Just then, the aura that had dissipated returned.
"!?"
Gray's eyes widened as she gazed into the depths of the cemetery—
The masked girl, Gray's other self in the world, stood Corpse King.
It's like a persistent ghost, even though we were already completely defeated.
Although I really want to say that, is she... really that Corpse King?
The awe-inspiring demeanor of a Queen of the Underworld was completely gone; her quiet, bowed head conveyed no trace of life.
Shirou seemed to have known she would appear, so he didn't show much surprise.
"This guy is the mastermind and culprit I mentioned to you—"
The Seven Great Weapons of Atlas Institute, "Logos React"
Volume 9: 429 Gray: Please, my other self.
"That's... Logos React? But it's humanoid..."
"Ah, no doubt about it, she must be Logos ReAct's avatar in this world."
Shirou stared at the masked girl standing there and said.
Since it is a weapon of the Atlas Institute, it should be able to replicate the spirit of King Arthur.
This level of capability should be sufficient even with any surplus capacity beyond its original function.
After all, the Seven Great Weapons of the Atlas Institute were originally created to save humanity from inevitable destruction, but instead they have become the cause of the world's destruction.
"..."
The Corpse King, the girl who was once the Corpse King, remained silent.
Although the Corpse King gives off a very aloof feeling, she is different; that feeling comes from the inorganic matter that does not contain life.
"If my judgment is correct," the "Logos React" concluded that the script had failed.
She has gathered enough intelligence to destroy the world, which is why she has personally appeared.
"What would happen if the world were destroyed?" Leinys asked.
"We'll probably be cast into its next cycle," Shirou asserted.
The Spirit Particle Computer will not give up until it achieves its experimental objectives.
"Of course, we might not be able to guarantee that we'll retain all our memories in the next scenario world."
"!!"
Cold sweat trickled down Leinys's face.
"Miss Leinys, I'm entrusting my mother to you."
As Gray spoke, she picked up the black Holy Lance the Corpse King had dropped on the ground—it had returned to its original form, now containing a birdcage called "Add".
"My king, what you told me earlier seems to be entirely true."
After seeing that, she finally accepted the "unreality" she had wanted to escape.
"My entire life up to this point has been a lie..."
"Being saved by you, following your adventures, and spending these three years with everyone in Camelot all seem like a dream."
Shirou turned his head away and said, "Ah, that's a real shame."
"It's truly... a very, very regrettable thing."
Gray's voice trembled slightly with a sob as she gripped the scythe that "Add" had transformed into.
"My Lord, what kind of girl am I (Gray) in the real world?"
"She's timid, introverted, and shy around strangers. Even at 15, she always wears a hood and hates her face..."
Shirou explained it to her truthfully.
Despite being the heir to the Blackmoa Cemetery, she is terrified of spirits, and her companion "Add" always seems to call her Slowpoke Gray...
"I see. In the real world, Add can speak..."
The girl looked at the scythe in her hand with a lonely gaze. "He must be a rude and arrogant fellow."
Then again, I (Gray) over there was really something wrong with myself.
Hearing you say that reminds me of my past self—the one before you took me away from the village.
In the real world, Gray didn't grow at all.
"..."
Shirou couldn't bring himself to say something as irresponsible as "You'll definitely grow in the future."
Compared to the real world, Gray in the fictional world is much happier.
At this moment, the Silver-haired girl suddenly said, "Your Majesty, can you make a promise with me?"
"What?"
Gray turned to Shirou and smiled, "Please don't abandon me (Gray) in the real world."
"I understand, this is a promise." Shirou nodded solemnly, making his commitment.
"That's great! Well then... I hope you'll continue to guide me back in the real world!"
Gray's smile faded.
In the Silver-haired girl's emerald-green eyes, an unwavering fighting spirit shone.
"Hehe, in this way, I... have no regrets or unease."
I will eliminate "Logos React" and restore the world to its original state.
In doing so, the girl made a declaration that she was killing her entire life up to that point.
Just as she revealed her fighting spirit, the masked girl, who was a dozen meters away from the others, reacted.
"... Logos React, it feels like a dream."
The Spirit Particle Calculator, which was expected to remain silent until the very end, unexpectedly began to murmur.
That's right. This is me.
I am the spirit of King Arthur, a weapon forged by the Atlas Institute.
As if finally realizing something, the woman raised her right hand.
Darkness gathered at her fingertips.
The condensed, dark magic thus took form.
"That's right. This gun is both Rhongomyniad and 'Logos React'."
She raised the black Holy Lance, asserted this, and spread the five fingers of her other hand.
A wind blew through the Catacombs.
For ordinary people unaware of its mystery, the mere sight of this magical wind brushing against their cheeks can disrupt their senses and even cause them to lose consciousness.
Moreover, just like when the Holy Lance appeared, a new form was formed again around the "Logos React".
Just seconds later, an unusually loud bird wing sound came from the underground cemetery.
It was a tall, thin, unfamiliar man with black wings sprouting from his back.
He was dressed in luxurious formal attire befitting the era, and his skin was sickly pale.
Then comes the key point: above the man's neck Non-human —but rather the head of a bird.
Its bizarre posture was almost like that of a crow in human form.
"...?"
Leinys's slender body trembled.
"Dead Apostle..."
Dead Apostle, and the highest level at that.
A being who surpasses even the highest-ranking ancient nobles and reigns supreme in the vampire world—a being known as "Ancestor."
Considering they are currently in the Blackmoa Cemetery.
The identity of this powerful Dead Apostle was becoming increasingly clear in Leinys's mind—
The sixteenth seat of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, the King of Birds, Blackmore.
The king of the sky in the vampire world, standing in the underground sky, looking down from above at the humans crawling on the ground.
"Gransurg Blackmoa."
Leinys uttered the name of the Dead Apostle, her voice trembling.
Shirou tilted his head and asked, "Is it someone you know?"
"Shirou! That's the Twenty-Seven Ancestors!" Leinys introduced briefly.
Upon hearing her say this, Shirou finally remembered that he had heard a similar explanation from her before visiting the village.
This village has a deep connection not only with the witch Morgan, but also with a certain ancient Twenty-Seven Ancestors.
The sixteenth seat of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, Gransurg Blackmoa.
The guy who turned himself into Dead Apostle through Magecraft was a Magecraft who regarded birds as sacred beings in his previous life.
They lavish praise on birds' physical form and internal structure, glorifying them as the sole rulers of the planet, living to build a world (the sky) that makes them more viable.