IBHJ Chapter 959

If Venus stepped outside this place that had become their base, she would be discovered by her other self, thus exposing them all. So, Venus had to stay put.

"Ah~~~!" Venus wailed, dramatically throwing herself onto the ground. She rolled back and forth, arms flailing like a child in the middle of a tantrum. "I want to go out! I want to go out! It's so boring here!"

The others exchanged weary glances, pointedly ignoring her drama. They'd grown accustomed to Venus's attempts to play both sides - wanting to help while also adhering to the Ultimate Ones' will. Her opportunistic nature had lost its charm, leaving them unmoved by her exaggerated display of frustration.

Tiamat couldn't go either. She was the heart of their base. If their location was exposed, they'd be relying on her to hold the line. He thought it over carefully and finally decided to bring Ayaka and Kiara, leaving Hinako and Gao Changgong behind.

The reasoning was simple: Hinako didn't get along with him and wouldn't be cooperative, and while setting Ayaka aside, Kiara had inherited powerful Noble Phantasm from Demonic Bodhisattva.

He also decided to leave the God's Brain behind, much to her dismay. The prospect of spending more time with Venus filled her with resentment.

Sensing her displeasure, he turned to her with a serious expression. "Among everyone here, you're the one I trust the most. That's why I'm entrusting you with such a crucial task. Haven't you realized that?" he sighed, "I'm... disappointed you didn't see it."

Aqua hesitated, caught off guard. "Is... is that so? But what exactly is this task...?"

His eyebrows raised slightly. "You haven't caught on to my meaning? Perhaps you're not as perceptive as I thought." He paused, his tone turning casual. "I suppose I could always give you to Venus as a favor instead."

"No, no!" Aqua replied hastily, her eyes wide. "I understand completely. I'll stay here and complete Master's task." The words came out reluctantly, but even as Shirou walked away, Aqua still had no idea what this supposed 'task' was. One thing was obvious, though - agreeing to stay was infinitely preferable to becoming Miss Venus' plaything!

After saying their goodbyes to Venus and the others, Shirou returned to the urban area near Lake Titicaca.

"Artie, please take the others home first. I'll go let Grandma Enos know," Shirou said.

Artoria nodded. "Of course." She gestured to Kiara and the rest, leading them towards home.

Just then, Morrigan stepped forward and said with a smile, "I won't go with you. I'll also go see Grandma Enos. Since she's a priestess of the wisdom god, she's a typical Mayan Age of Gods magus. Perhaps we can learn about the Mayan mystery foundation through her."

Artoria considered this for a moment, then nodded.

Morrigan slid up to him, her smile widening. "Shall we, 'little sister'?" she teased.

He looked at her helplessly. "Would you stop that?" he sighed, knowing full well she was messing with him on purpose.

He and Morrigan walked towards Grandma Enos's house. Neither of them spoke, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere. Even Shirou didn't know what to say at this moment. To be honest, he actually had some reservations about Morgan le Fay, but he hadn't expressed them out of concern for hurting her feelings.

"It's really remarkable, when you think about it," she suddenly mused, breaking the silence.

He glanced at her. "What is?"

A soft smile played on her lips. "This... being able to get along so calmly with you and Artoria. If it were Morgan le Fay, I doubt she could do it."

"That's not true," he shook his head. He hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask for a while now. Why do you always refer to yourself - to Morgan le Fay - as if she's separate from you?

She blinked, then said with a smile, "Ah, that. Well, you see, Morgan le Fay is Morrigan, but Morrigan is not Morgan le Fay." She paused, letting the words sink in. "So, where Morgan le Fay won't help you, Morrigan will help you to the very end."

After saying this, she fluttered away like a butterfly.

He watched her for a moment, a smile tugging at his lips. "She has changed so much," he murmured to himself, then quickened his pace to catch up with her.

As they entered the district where Grandma Enos lived, a sudden "pop" sound rang in their ears. A strange sensation, as if they were crossing an invisible barrier, washed over them, making him frown.

Morrigan's footsteps suddenly stopped, her body tensing. "Shirou, did you feel that?"

"Yes," he nodded, his face serious. "It's a Bounded Field!"

"Not just any Bounded Field, there's a trace of... God's Authority woven into it." She narrowed her eyes, "Manifesting an Authority through a Bounded Field increases its power many times over. It's like a simplified version of Age of Gods magecraft. There must be an Age of Gods magus at work here. Be careful, Shirou. Having seen Merlin's and my power firsthand, you should understand that Age of Gods magi are not as weak as modern magi."

He nodded gravely, acknowledging her warning. But before either could speak further—

"BOOM—!!"

The sky above them split open with a deafening crack. A blinding bolt of lightning tore through the air before slamming into a distant courtyard.

"That's Grandma Enos's courtyard! Something's happened over there!"

Running quickly towards Grandma Enos's house, they soon saw a massive shadow engulfing her yard.

"That's a plague," said Morrigan. "There must be a magus from the Age of Gods who has control over the power of disease."

He nodded. At this moment, this area of the city had been enveloped by an Age of Gods version of a Reality Marble, separated from reality, essentially becoming an alternate dimension space. At the same time, the reason this Bounded Field was as powerful as a Reality Marble was because the magus was using the power of the gods. They could even feel it overflowing within this Reality Marble.

Looking at the manifestation of the plague, his mind stirred, and Evil Blossom hidden in the shadows immediately rushed out, enveloping the two of them in a protective bubble.

"Actually, this isn't really necessary," Morrigan said helplessly. She could easily deal with this level of plague, but since it was her brother's goodwill, she might as well accept it.

As they pressed deeper into the plague-ridden area, the black mist seemed to recoil from Evil Blossom's protective bubble. Like obedient children before a stern parent, the mist parted, giving them a clear view of the yard. And inside, there were five people.

Among them, Enos was leaning on her cane, looking sternly at four magi opposite her, who were dressed in gold and silver with faces painted in bright colors.

The lead magus stepped forward, his voice carrying a note of finality. "The long-standing war between the Wisdom and Wrath God has ended, Enos. Hand over that person from Gandhara, and we won't harm you."

Grandma Enos's grip on her cane tightened and she shook her head. "You've torn up the pact of our ancestors. This... this is nothing short of blasphemy against those who came before us."

The lead magus let out a derisive snort, his painted face twisting into a sneer. "That agreement was nothing more than an old relic, created by the ancestors with the people of Gandhara. What does it have to do with us?"

He took a step forward, his voice dripping with contempt. "Enos, you may be a priestess of the God of Wisdom, but let's face facts - your god has fallen. How much divine power remains in that hunched body of yours?"

His eyes raked over her old body, dismissive. "At most, you've managed to create this pitiful barrier against our 'plague'. It's... pathetic."

The magus's tone shifted, adopting a false air of reasonableness. "There aren't many surviving priests in this world. We'd prefer not to harm you, nor desecrate this once-sacred place." He spread his hands in a gesture of mock benevolence. "So here's some friendly advice: hand over the Gandhara fugitive. It's the wisest course of action, wouldn't you agree?"