To Become a King and a Magician 716-720

Title: A True Hero Kills Enemies with Their Eyes!

Kingu.

The direct subordinate of the Magecraft King and Goddess Tiamat, entrusted with the Holy Grail by the Magecraft King and occupying Enkidu’s body.

The successor unit to Enkidu.

Honestly, Naoki hadn’t expected the other party to show up here.

Especially since his arrival was so sudden, moving at a super speed of 500 kilometers per hour.

Almost the moment their gazes met in the air, Kingu, hovering above, dove down with divine speed, transforming his arm into a blade and slashing at Naoki with incredible swiftness!

*BOOM!*

Instantly, a column of sand erupted from the beach.

Standing amidst the falling sand like rain, shielding himself with wind to avoid being covered, Naoki blocked Kingu’s attack with his hand and stared at him from behind the arm that parried it.

“Quite a unique way to greet. Since this is our first meeting, how about we keep things a bit more peaceful?”

“Good point.”

Kingu said this with a gentle smile and tone, but a second later, a chain shot out from behind him, whipping fiercely toward Naoki!

*CLANG!*

Just as the Chains of Heaven were about to hit Naoki, a thick chain suddenly materialized from the air, colliding with the Chains of Heaven, sending them flying, and then turning to whip at Kingu!

*BAM!*

A massive crack split the beach from the force of the chain’s strike.

In the distance, Kingu landed lightly on the ground, staring at the chain that slowly vanished beside Naoki: “Hmm, it seems you do have commendable strength. Not many warriors can duel with me.”

“From your tone, it sounds like you came specifically to test me?”

Naoki’s question made Kingu smile: “No, I just happened to spot you on my way here and had a sudden idea. After all, you, a foreigner, nearly wiped out our monster forces on your first day here, giving us a full three days of rest. Naturally, I can’t ignore such a significant disruption.”

“It’d be even better if I could finish you off here.”

Kingu’s words were brimming with confidence, as if, in his eyes, Naoki wasn’t a serious threat—just an object he could easily deal with.

Perhaps his origins gave him such confidence.

His body was the ultimate masterpiece created by the gods, a perfect Divine Weapon, and now he also possessed the Holy Grail personally sent to this era by the Magecraft King. In terms of combat ability alone, Kingu currently surpassed even the original Enkidu and Gilgamesh.

Combined with the Chains of Heaven, even among all the Goddesses, Kingu should be the strongest in this Singularity Point, aside from Tiamat.

That’s why he underestimated Naoki so much. The strength Naoki displayed now only seemed like something requiring a bit of seriousness in his eyes.

*SHUA!*

Like the opening of the Gate of Babylon, ripples of light appeared in the space behind Kingu. However, unlike the Gate of Babylon, what emerged from the ripples wasn’t a variety of treasures but a vast number of Chains of Heaven.

“This amount should be enough, right?”

As he said this, the countless Chains of Heaven transformed into wild horses breaking free, charging toward Naoki with divine speed nearly invisible to the naked eye!

It looked like a frenzied dance of silver serpents.

However—

*KRAK!*

Just as the Chains of Heaven surged forward, a sudden cracking sound rang out, and the countless chains inexplicably froze in midair, turning into blocks of ice that crashed onto the sand!

Enveloped in a chilling aura, Naoki stood on a frozen plain and exhaled a cold breath: “Huuuuh~ That was intense. Let’s not make a big ruckus at night—it’ll disturb people’s sleep. Quiet down a bit.”

(Freezing all the chains in an instant… That’s the ability that froze the plains beyond the Northern Wall.)

Being able to freeze the Chains of Heaven so quickly was indeed a noteworthy ability, but in Kingu’s eyes, it was merely decent. Chains were nothing…

*SWOOSH!*

The frozen chains vanished into the ice, and even more new chains extended from the ripples in the air.

Kingu himself was the Chains of Heaven—he had as many as he wanted.

A massive number of Chains of Heaven were once again hurled toward Naoki!

“This feels like fighting Gilgamesh.”

Freezing all the chains again with a blast of cold air, Naoki couldn’t help but say: “Ten years ago, when I fought him, he kept throwing Noble Phantasms like this too. Whether I dodged or burned them, it was useless. Are you two really this wasteful?”

“It’s just the most effective use of this body.” Kingu sneered. “Turning myself into blades and firing them endlessly is the fighting style best suited for this body. That foolish King of Uruk is merely imitating me.”

In response to Kingu’s words, an even greater number of Chains of Heaven surged toward Naoki like waves, one following the other!

Though the chains froze instantly upon nearing Naoki, the growing number of ice pillars began to limit the space for freezing around him.

Seeing Naoki gradually surrounded by his ice pillars, Kingu smiled and said: “What’s wrong? Your freezing speed’s slowing down. Are you starting to falter, foreigner from Chaldea?”

“No, I’m just thinking about something.”

As he said this, Naoki suddenly reached out and grabbed one of the Chains of Heaven.

“Gilgamesh once told me that if I met you, I didn’t need to care about his feelings or thoughts—just destroy you completely. Regardless of his true intentions, ‘destroying the Chains of Heaven’ is actually a bit tricky.”

Kingu’s body was made of clay, a puppet created by the gods. He could recover instantly even if injured, so the concept of wounds didn’t apply to him. To destroy him completely, the only way was to extract the Holy Grail within him, making him lose his power source and heart.

But even then, Kingu wouldn’t die immediately.

So, Naoki was thinking about how to utterly annihilate Kingu.

And the conclusion he reached was—

“Tell me, do you have a soul now?”

Releasing his Mystic Eye Killer, Naoki revealed his Mystic Eyes after years and stared sharply at the puppet before him.

At that moment…

“Ugh—!”

Ishtar, standing behind Naoki, suddenly shivered for no reason!

A sensation screaming [Something terrifying has arrived] surged into Ishtar’s mind without warning. Though she didn’t understand why she had such a thought, she at least knew that the feelings and thoughts she had now were pure and unfeigned!

Kingu felt the same.

“Ugh—!”

A sensation like an electric shock instantly spread through Kingu’s entire body!

His body, which shouldn’t feel pain, suddenly experienced intense pain without warning under the gaze of those eyes! It was as if his body was being chewed apart bit by bit by a ferocious beast!

(No, that’s wrong—it’s not my body. The source of this pain is… my soul!)

His soul was under attack—Kingu realized this immediately.

(Those eyes… are they Mystic Eyes? Mystic Eyes that target the soul?)

The longer he lingered in the range of those Mystic Eyes, the more dangerous it was!

In just a few seconds, thoughts not his own began to emerge in Kingu’s mind. If he stayed here any longer…

“Tch! Damn it!”

As if cursing Naoki and himself, Kingu, who had ascended into the sky, immediately fled from Naoki’s line of sight at full speed! In an instant, he vanished into the horizon!

Watching Kingu’s retreat, Naoki reactivated his Mystic Eye Killer: “He ran, huh? Makes sense. If he didn’t, he’d have died here. That’s surely an outcome he couldn’t accept.”

Kingu’s encounter with Naoki this time was merely a coincidence and a spur-of-the-moment idea, not a deliberate attempt to target him. Naoki guessed he had come to the Persian Gulf to check on Goddess Tiamat’s condition, only to spot Naoki along the way and think, [Let’s see if I can take him out while I’m here], before launching an attack.

Instead, he suffered a major loss in the face of Naoki’s Mystic Eyes.

“Thirty percent of his soul has been eroded. Though I don’t know if there’s a way to repair a soul in the Age of Gods, this should buy us some more breathing room.”

While it wasn’t impossible to chase and completely eliminate Kingu, well…

(I need to inform Gilgamesh about this first. Though he said I could destroy him decisively, in reality…)

Thinking this, Naoki turned to face Ishtar: “Alright, my business here is done—Why do you look like a frail girl scared by a bug? Did something shock you?”

Ishtar: “……”

-

Title: Gilgamesh’s Head Bumps

The next morning.

After parting with Ishtar at the Persian Gulf in the early hours, Naoki returned to Uruk with a cart full of water jars prepared by the people at the observation post.

Perhaps Gilgamesh had mentioned it, as upon arriving in Uruk, Naoki immediately met his liaison, who had been waiting for a while. After handing over the water jars and the donkey cart, he headed straight to the Ziggurat.

He had been away from Uruk for about five days. As usual, the Ziggurat was bustling with people coming and going: soldiers, ministers, priests… Every time Gilgamesh issued an order, many left the Ziggurat, and soon after, others entered to await the next command.

This had been the norm since the establishment of the Demon Beast Defense Line.

Naoki didn’t interrupt Gilgamesh’s work. Compared to the report he needed to deliver, maintaining the stability of the Demon Beast Front Line was currently the top priority.

“Good, that’s enough for now. Siduri, hand this list to the logistics department and ensure it reaches the Northern Wall by tomorrow.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After Naoki leaned against the Ziggurat’s wall and waited for over an hour, Gilgamesh handed a clay tablet—the last one for the time being—to Siduri, then massaged the bridge of his nose.

It was his eighth day working through the night. The last time he rested was two days ago. Though he was the Wedge of Heaven, two-thirds divine, such heavy work was truly pushing him to his limits. Moreover, maintaining the protective shield over Uruk and manifesting five Servants was an enormous Mana drain.

Just as he finished his last task, Gilgamesh’s head slumped heavily, unable to hold up any longer.

“Ugh… a bit tired? It’s been a bit much these past few days…”

“Rather than a bit much, you’re overworking yourself to death.”

Taking advantage of this brief break, Naoki approached Gilgamesh: “If you keep this up, you could die from exhaustion. For Uruk’s sake, take half a day to sleep once in a while. The current battle situation gives you that leeway.”

The reality was as Naoki said. The Demon Beast Front Line, which previously could only be held at a stalemate through Gilgamesh’s grueling efforts, was now gaining a slight advantage against the Demon Beasts thanks to the addition of new combat forces.

For defense, there were Leonidas I, Oda Nobunaga, and Dingir. For active assaults to save other cities, there were Ushiwakamaru, Benkei, Tomoe, and also Hinako and Xiang Yu—especially the latter.

Originally, Xiang Yu was created as a war machine to conquer the world, and now his power could be fully utilized on the Demon Beast Front Line, significantly reducing the pressure there.

Thanks to this, the morale of Uruk’s soldiers had skyrocketed to unprecedented heights, and everyone could see a glimmer of victory on the horizon.

Gilgamesh let out a soft sigh: “If the enemy were only the Magical Beast Goddess, then yes, I could take half a day to rest as you suggest. But you know who our greatest enemy is. The preparations we have are still far from enough.”

“Firepower deficiency syndrome, huh… But you’re right. If it’s Goddess Tiamat, no amount of preparation will ever be enough.”

“If you already know, don’t say things out of place—Have you completed all the tasks I gave you?”

Naoki nodded: “The Tablet of Destiny has been brought back by Merlin, right? As for the Persian Gulf water quality inspection, I’ve already handed it over to the soldiers.”

“Hmm, good work. Go see Siduri later to collect your reward. Anything else? If not, I still have state affairs to attend to.”

“There are two more things I’d like to report.”

Gilgamesh, who was about to pick up another stone tablet, paused: “What?”

“First, about the Three Goddess Alliance. Merlin should have already told you. After parting with him, I went to the Underworld, and there I met the final pillar of the Three Goddess Alliance—Ereshkigal.”

(The final pillar of the Three Goddess Alliance… True, that foolish Goddess never called herself that.)

For Gilgamesh, this was unexpected but reasonable information.

“For certain reasons, I negotiated with Ereshkigal. I mainly explained about Goddess Tiamat and her actions.”

“Hoo… Don’t tell me that after the Forest Goddess, you’ve managed to secure another peace agreement with the Underworld Goddess for me?”

Naoki smiled and shook his head: “Not quite, only halfway. Ereshkigal doesn’t trust my words, but if Goddess Tiamat truly appears, she promised to lend us her aid.”

“A promise of aid from the Underworld Goddess… Huhahahahahahahahaha!”

Gilgamesh suddenly burst into hearty laughter, slamming both hands on the armrests of his throne: “Excellent! Remarkable! Holy Sword Bearer! You truly know how to bring me unexpected surprises! Hahahahaha!”

Though Uruk’s situation was gradually improving, bad news still outweighed the good. At the very least, it had been a long time since Gilgamesh heard such perfect good news. The last time he laughed so freely was when Naoki reported about the Forest Goddess.

And now, Quetzalcoatl and Ereshkigal, two of the Three Goddess Alliance, had temporarily ceased to be threats through Naoki’s efforts and might even become potential allies in the future.

This was truly exceptional good news.

After laughing heartily for a while, Gilgamesh gradually calmed down: “Ouch, ouch, you’ve done splendidly, Holy Sword Bearer. Your extraordinary abilities make me want to keep you in Uruk. Are you interested in becoming the Supreme Commander of Uruk?”

“No need for that. After all, I come from the future. I’ll have to leave once this Singularity ends. I can’t stay. I appreciate your kind intentions, though.”

“Hmm, fair point. I was careless.”

“That’s what happens when you’re delirious from daily overtime. Go sleep for a bit later, you workaholic.”

“It’s not your place to manage my schedule. I know my own limits.” Gilgamesh laughed. “So, what’s the other thing? You said you had two things to report, right? What’s the second one?”

“I encountered Enkidu. While inspecting the water quality at the Persian Gulf, I ran into Enkidu, who was there for some reason.”

“Is that so?”

The smile on Gilgamesh’s face vanished instantly. After a brief silence, he responded flatly: “And the outcome? You fought, didn’t you? Don’t tell me you got beaten back.”

“No, you could say I won. Thirty percent of his soul was eroded by my Mystic Eyes, but Enkidu fled before the erosion was complete.”

“……”

Gilgamesh’s expression grew even more serious.

-

Title: Needing Family Permission to Handle the Bull

In the past, because Enkidu and Gilgamesh together killed the Bull of Heaven, Enkidu’s actions were seen by the gods as rebellion against them. As a result, the gods destroyed his body and soul.

Back then, Gilgamesh personally witnessed the death of his closest friend.

And now, though what he heard about wasn’t the same person—just a fake occupying his friend’s body—learning that the entity’s soul was being eroded still brought back those past memories uncontrollably.

“Soul erosion… Huh? Your pair of Mystic Eyes has effects in that domain.”

“Yes, I call them the Soul Eater Mystic Eyes.” Naoki explained, adjusting his Mystic Eye Killer glasses. “With no limit on quantity, as long as a spirit or soul is within the range of these Mystic Eyes, they’ll be eroded and turned into puppets or slaves that completely obey my commands. And so far, that erosion is irreversible—even I can’t undo it.”

“During the Holy Grail War ten years ago, I used these Mystic Eyes to send you, who had become a Servant, back to the Throne of Heroes.”

Hearing Naoki’s sudden additional explanation, a displeased expression briefly flashed across Gilgamesh’s face.

But—

“As an example to explain the effects of your Mystic Eyes, couldn’t you pick one that’s easier for me to stomach?”

Naoki’s Mystic Eyes had such a powerful effect that even many treasures in the Gate of Babylon couldn’t fully withstand them.

Though Gilgamesh could understand this point, he still felt a bit annoyed.

Smiling, Naoki continued his explanation: “In my fight with Enkidu, my initial intent was to use these Mystic Eyes to completely erode his soul. It was the most direct method I could think of to destroy him.”

Enkidu’s body was a kind of immortality in a certain sense, and ordinary methods couldn’t fully eliminate it.

Moreover—

“That’s your friend’s body. It wouldn’t be good to completely destroy it again. Essentially, the current situation is a foreign pilot occupying an old unit, so all we need to do is remove the pilot. The unit itself can be preserved. Once everything’s settled, it can be reburied in the Underworld.”

“Meddling as you please.”

Gilgamesh adjusted his collar: “Fine, I understand your point, but that fake Enkidu escaped, didn’t he? Why didn’t you chase him?”

“Well… I actually wanted to get your opinion first.” Naoki laughed. “It’s like a surgery requiring family approval—I wanted to ask your thoughts on my actions. After all, you and Enkidu are the closest of friends with the deepest emotional bond, and my actions, in a way, trample on your feelings.”

Eroding his soul, controlling his body.

No matter how beautifully the words dressed it up, Naoki’s actions clearly aimed to take over Enkidu.

This was something Gilgamesh absolutely couldn’t tolerate.

After a brief silence on his throne, Gilgamesh nodded: “Hmm, do as you see fit, Holy Sword Bearer. Rather than letting some unknown mixed soul continue occupying Enkidu’s body, it’s better to free it as soon as possible.”

“I understand. Since this is your decision, at our next encounter, I’ll completely erode and destroy that Enkidu’s soul.”

“Hmm, thank you for your efforts… You may leave. Also, tell the ministers and soldiers outside that we’ll resume handling state affairs in ten minutes. I need a short rest.”

With that, Gilgamesh closed his eyes, resting his face on one hand.

Staying up for eight days straight and working nonstop for over seventy-two hours— no body, no matter how strong, could withstand that. Gilgamesh truly needed rest.

At the same time, he also needed to adjust his mood.

He was someone who didn’t mix personal matters with work, but regarding the second death of his closest friend, even Gilgamesh needed time to process it.

After glancing at Gilgamesh, who had fallen asleep on his throne, Naoki turned and walked out of the Ziggurat.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Chaldea Embassy.

Upon arriving, Naoki only saw Rei cleaning.

Seeing her Master return, Rei stopped her work and smiled: “Welcome back, Master. You’ve finally decided to return after more than four days out there.”

“There were some things to take care of. Where are the others?”

“Morgan is still at the Northern Wall maintaining the shield. Merry took Fujimaru and Mash to the Northern Wall to handle a supply transport task issued by King Gilgamesh.”

It had been about half a month since they arrived in this Singularity.

Through continuous civilian tasks, Ritsuka and Mash had earned some recognition from Gilgamesh and were given missions related to the Demon Beast Front Line, traveling back and forth to the Northern Wall.

After all, they were two fairly useful combat forces. It would be a shame to leave them doing farm work in Uruk.

With Hinako and Xiang Yu also at the Northern Wall and not yet back, almost everyone was now at the Demon Beast Front Line.

“Why didn’t you go, Rei?”

“Because I had to wait for Master to return here.”

Rei said while helping Naoki remove his coat: “This is our residence in Uruk, our ‘home,’ so to speak. If Master is busy working outside, as your servant and lover, it’s only natural I stay here to await your return.”

“It’s only proper, my dear ‘Prince’~~~”

Hearing Rei’s sincere words, tinged with a playful hint reminiscent of Manaka, Naoki gave a small smile: “Sorry for always troubling you like this. Is there anything to eat? I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since yesterday noon.”

“Well then…”

Rei went to the kitchen and pulled a piece of butter cake from a simple homemade refrigerator: “I made this last night with Miss Tomoe. It’s been sitting overnight, so the taste isn’t at its best, but if Master doesn’t mind—”

“Hmm, this’ll do.”

As his hand touched the butter cake, it instantly thawed. Naoki grabbed a piece and popped it into his mouth.

[If Master minds, I’ll make a new one.]

Rei, who had intended to say that, could only smile and abandon the idea when she saw Naoki already eating with some goat milk—her Master could even accept day-old leftovers, a habit said to have formed from tough times in the past.

Thinking this, Rei couldn’t help but say: “Just a piece of cake might not be enough, right? Please wait a moment, I’ll prepare lunch right away.”

“Oh, thanks a lot. Add plenty of meat.”

“Understood.”

-

Title: The Night Before the Decisive Battle

At the same time.

Outside the Northern Wall of Uruk, in the city of Nippur, which had failed to be protected and was incorporated into the Demon Beast Front Line.

At the highest point in the city, Kingû lay sprawled on the ground.

Pain.

It was the only real sensation he felt at this moment.

Since last night at the Persian Gulf, after his eyes were briefly met by the Mystic Eyes of that golden-haired man, an unrelenting pain originating from his soul had continuously flooded Kingû’s heart and body.

It felt like being swarmed and gnawed at by countless ants.

It felt like being sliced apart piece by piece with a sharp knife.

Clutching his chest tightly, Kingû dripped cold sweat the size of corn kernels from his forehead, gasping incessantly.

“Haa… haa… haa… Damn it…”

As the only new human of the future, Kingû had never imagined he’d fall into such an agonizing state.

He was a child born of Goddess Tiamat, an existence far superior to all humans. He was supposed to be the most perfect individual—even King Gilgamesh shouldn’t have been able to match him!

Kingû had always believed that.

Yet, with just a single glance, he was reduced to this. Initially, he was only routinely checking the situation there. Destroying Naoki was just a side plan, a whim…

[Destruction, not permitted]

*SRAAK—!*

Like an old television experiencing interference, a flash of static suddenly crossed Kingû’s mind. Naoki’s face, with his Mystic Eyes open, flickered briefly amidst the snowy image!

It came again.

*BAM!*

Overcome with rage, Kingû swung his hand, creating a massive crack in the ground!

“Damn it, why does this keep happening? Why does that man…”

Naoki’s face intermittently appeared in Kingû’s mind.

Since realizing his soul was being eroded by Naoki, this situation had plagued Kingû, like an inescapable nightmare, constantly tormenting and even eroding his soul.

What exactly had that man done to him?

Besides eroding his soul, what else had that man done to him!

*BAM!*

He slammed both fists down hard, shattering the ground beneath him!

Kneeling in the crater, Kingû endured the small but profound pain relentlessly assaulting the depths of his soul. Gritting his teeth, his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

He had to find out.

He had to kill that man.

[Kill, not permitted]

The eroded part of his soul seemed to scream as such.

“Annoying!”

*CRASH!*

In his frustration, Kingû obliterated much of the surrounding buildings with a single strike! Then, as if trying to shake Naoki’s image from his mind, he violently shook his head! But no matter how hard he tried, the figure he loathed and despised clung stubbornly to his thoughts!

Damn it!

“Kill him… I’ll definitely kill him…”

Kingû staggered to his feet from the crater. His face was deathly pale, and he clutched his chest tightly.

“No need to waste more time with the Northern Wall now. It’s time to officially let the Demon Beasts launch their assault… Conquer Uruk, kill Gilgamesh and that man. That’s enough!”

The Demon Beast Front Line had been ongoing for half a year up to this point.

What the people of Uruk considered a miraculous achievement was, in Kingû’s eyes, merely an appetizer.

Though the Demon Beasts had been relentlessly attacking the Northern Wall until now, their goal wasn’t to destroy Uruk but to gather resources called Humans.

Through the first generation of Demon Beasts that had been born, they attacked the Northern Wall, targeted humans, took their corpses, and used them to create a stronger second generation of Demon Beasts. These second-generation Demon Beasts would then be used to break the Northern Wall and annihilate Uruk.

Thus, in reality, the Magical Beast Goddess, like the Forest Goddess and the Underworld Goddess, had never truly launched a large-scale invasion against Uruk.

According to the original plan, Kingû intended to gather more corpses to create enough second-generation Demon Beasts before destroying Uruk. But the pain from his soul forced him to advance this plan.

Even for a single second, he didn’t want to endure this pain any longer—not just the physical pain but the mental anguish as well.

[Submit to that man]

Faintly, even Kingû himself couldn’t believe he could have such an absurd thought!

Flying into the air while staring at Uruk from afar, Kingû clenched his fists tightly.

“Enjoy your final peace, Uruk.”

“When the number of second-generation Demon Beasts is sufficient, that’s when you’ll be destroyed.”

Before that…

Gazing at the distant lamplight, Kingû, still tormented by pain, found the light glaringly unbearable.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Night.

Demon Beast Front Line, Northern Wall.

Atop the wall.

Lying on the edge while feeling the cool night breeze, Merlin squinted slightly, as if looking into the distance or perhaps lightly dozing off.

“So, you’re here.”

Carrying her staff, Morgan approached Merlin’s side. Also stationed at the Northern Wall, she leaned against him: “Are you peeping somewhere again with your Clairvoyance? You voyeur.”

“I’m peeping at Uruk, you know.” Merlin laughed. “Since we’re all away from home, Rei seems to be preparing for a ‘decisive battle’ with Naoki until dawn. I wanted to watch a bit.”

“Your sense of humor is truly awful.”

“Ehm…~~~”

Merlin snorted proudly, then spread his arms: “Well, that was my original plan, but tonight it seems those two aren’t in the mood to ‘battle.’ Unlike usual, they’re lying in bed like a lovesick couple, so I peeked for a bit and didn’t continue.”

“In my opinion, your previous habits were the strange ones.”

Morgan looked up at the sky: “So, what did you actually see? What’s going to happen next on this land?”

Merlin pointed in a certain direction.

“Nippur?” Morgan recalled the situation there. “I remember that was the city where the residents couldn’t be fully evacuated when the Demon Beast Front Line began. Though we tried to rescue people little by little under the cover of night afterward, it seems some were still left behind.”

“Those left behind are all dead.”

Merlin said emotionlessly: “The remaining people have become food for the Demon Beasts and have been used for other purposes… Get ready, Morgan. After this, it won’t be just small skirmishes anymore~~~”

-

Title: The Great Demon Beast Explosion

A few days later, the Demon Beast Front Line.

[From now on, it won’t be small skirmishes like before.]

As if responding to Merlin’s words from a few days ago, the Demon Beast Front Line was now facing an assault far more ferocious than ever before! Countless Demon Beasts surged out of the cedar forest in waves, as if launching a final all-out attack, transforming into an unprecedented colossal tide!

Fierce red lions with golden manes—Uridimmu.

Earth dragons with lion-like front claws, eagle-like hind claws, and poisonous scorpion-like tails—Mushussu.

Red-skinned Demon Beasts with three horns on their heads, resembling a mix of lion and dragon—Ushumgallu.

“…”

Not only were their numbers countless, but the types of Demon Beasts were also incredibly diverse.

The entire wave of Demon Beasts was a massive entity composed of these countless creatures. Since sunrise, they had relentlessly attacked the Demon Beast Front Line!

And as this massive Demon Beast assault pounded the Northern Wall, the resistance from the wall never ceased.

*PU-CHI—!*

Amidst the countless Demon Beasts, the sound of tearing flesh rang out in succession.

Wearing a war cloak drenched in blood, Xiang Yu gripped his Hegemon Spear with both hands, fighting like a frenzied warrior, slaying Demon Beasts one after another!

No, considering Xiang Yu’s class as a Berserker, his current demeanor might be the most normal and reasonable.

*SWOOSH!*

The blade of the Hegemon Spear swept across the battlefield like a crescent moon. The sweeping slash instantly decapitated several Demon Beasts in front, and the resulting impact and aura blade cleaved through even more Demon Beast bodies behind them.

Without time to care about the blood splashing onto his body, Xiang Yu stepped forward again, swinging his Hegemon Spear downward with force!

*DONG—!*

The ground suddenly trembled. The shockwave from the heavy strike instantly knocked back and scattered a large number of Demon Beasts surrounding Xiang Yu!

(412 Demon Beasts killed.)

The Divine Civilization Machine (Xianjing) installed in Xiang Yu’s body accurately recorded each battle outcome. Before today, this number would have equaled three or four waves of Demon Beast attacks, but now, it was merely a fraction of the first wave.

Their numbers were overwhelming. Even after killing so many Demon Beasts, the overall assault showed no signs of weakening.

Had all the Demon Beasts in the Mesopotamian plains been gathered here?

(I wonder how the situation is elsewhere.)

Due to the sheer number of Demon Beasts, to reduce the defensive pressure, Xiang Yu, Hinako, Tomoe, Ushiwakamaru, and Benkei had voluntarily left the Northern Wall to confront the Demon Beasts, aiming to reduce their numbers as much as possible.

But facing such an enormous enemy force, even a Servant could be injured or even defeated on this battlefield. Moreover, the five of them were spread out to cover every part of the front line.

A single warrior couldn’t play a decisive role in the overall war. Venturing too deep alone could easily lead to disaster.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*

Meanwhile, at the Northern Wall behind them, the Dingir crafted by Gilgamesh fired projectiles one after another at the Demon Beast horde! The Noble Phantasms loaded within turned into a meteor shower crashing down amidst the Demon Beasts!

*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*

Massive explosions and blinding flames erupted on the battlefield, creating visible empty spaces among the Demon Beasts.

But the next second, those empty spaces were immediately filled by new Demon Beasts, charging toward the Northern Wall to destroy it!

With Xiang Yu’s vision, he could see that the outer layer of the Northern Wall was already damaged from the Demon Beast attacks. Perhaps after three or four more assaults, a breach would appear.

The situation for Nobunaga and Leonidas, who were holding the defense, must also be dire.

Nobunaga, hovering in the air, had summoned her three thousand Matchlock rifles. The gunfire relentlessly cleared the Demon Beast horde like a blazing storm! Each salvo could kill a large number of Demon Beasts. Her firepower alone could rival Dingir!

Yet, the result was the same as before. The Matchlock rifles’ clearing speed couldn’t keep up with the Demon Beasts’ reinforcements.

“Damn it, this is never-ending! Even we Servants will die of exhaustion from these numbers!”

Nobunaga panted, complaining.

This all-out Demon Beast assault had been ongoing since dawn. Judging by the sun’s position, the battle had lasted over two hours. The human soldiers were already exhausted, and the Servants had been fighting nonstop until now. The Mana consumption was truly lethal, regardless of physical endurance!

*CRASH!*

A loud collapsing sound came from below.

Nobunaga immediately looked at the Northern Wall—a powerful Demon Beast attack had finally torn a breach in the wall! Countless Demon Beasts flooded through the gap!

Amid the battlefield’s roars, human screams suddenly mixed in.

(This is bad! Most of the soldiers inside the Northern Wall right now are the wounded. Even with Leonidas—)

Without hesitation, Nobunaga flew back from above the wall into the Northern Wall. Her Matchlock rifles aimed at every Demon Beast below and fired in unison!

*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*

Many Demon Beasts flooding the wall fell thanks to Nobunaga’s rescue efforts. But at the same time, more Demon Beasts surged through the breach!

(Damn it, Leonidas is already struggling to hold two gates—he doesn’t have the energy to hold here. If I stay here, the pressure outside will skyrocket, and those others definitely won’t be able to hold it!)

(But if we don’t hold here and let the Demon Beasts break through this defense line, it’s all over!)

Nobunaga kept firing at the attacking Demon Beasts while thinking of her next move, but the overwhelming numerical disparity made all strategies seem futile.

And at that moment—

*BOOM!*

From the direction of Uruk, a sound of breaking through the air suddenly echoed from afar!

“Everyone, retreat to the Northern Wall! Fall back into the city and coordinate with Merlin, Merry, and Morgan, who will arrive soon to set up a shield! Leave the outside to me!”

The voice resounded in every Servant’s mind simultaneously.

Xiang Yu and the others, struggling against the Demon Beasts on the battlefield, turned to the sky. Their tense expressions showed a hint of relief.

Since dawn, when it was confirmed that a massive number of Demon Beasts had attacked, the Northern Wall had sent a request for reinforcements to Uruk. Given the distance between the Northern Wall and Uruk, these must be reinforcements sent immediately after receiving the information, right?

Of course, only the person who just issued that announcement could pull this off.

“Natsukawa!”

After nearly ten days, the strongest reinforcement had arrived at the Northern Wall.

After swinging her sword to cut down all the Demon Beasts around her, giving herself a brief moment to breathe, Ushiwakamaru immediately looked not far from her side: “Benkei! You heard it too, right! Retreat!”

“Understood, Ushiwakamaru-sama!”

Benkei’s response came through the Demon Beast horde. Not far away, accompanied by a sudden rain of red blood, the Demon Beasts in its path collapsed, and then Akuta Hinako and Xiang Yu, riding his horse Wu Zhui, burst out from the Demon Beast ranks! They sped toward the Northern Wall!

Seeing this, Ushiwakamaru quickly rushed back to the Northern Wall as well.

And a few seconds later—

*ROAR!*

Several towering tornadoes suddenly appeared in the desert without warning! They instantly sucked all the Demon Beasts into the ferocious storm!