IBHJ Chapter 932

Shirou took a deep breath and said, "It seems we'll have to fight."

Hearing this, Gilgamesh scoffed, "Don't think that bringing in that black mud makes you a match for me! I am the strongest!" He pointed at himself with an air of supreme confidence.

"I know," Shirou said simply.

He was well aware of Gilgamesh's power. Morrigan had mentioned that since the opening of "Moon Gazing Beauty" in 2012, Gilgamesh had consistently dominated every event, acquiring numerous powerful items. While the true significance of these events remained unclear, there was no denying that this virtual Gilgamesh was far more formidable than his real-world counterpart, a true master of item manipulation. Perhaps the reason Ishtar, a boss in her own right, hadn't pursued them was because she was being outmaneuvered, or worse, overwhelmed by Gilgamesh's arsenal.

Evil Blossom and the Rune of Wisdom were indeed game-changers, top-tier abilities and items in both reality and this virtual world, but they couldn't fully compensate for Shirou's low level and inherent fragility. Even so, he had to defeat Gilgamesh and claim the divine fragments.

In truth, no one knew, not even Mordred and Illya, that Shirou could have escaped from this game world a long time ago by using Evil Blossom if he had abandoned them. He wouldn't have had to face the Heaven's Corpse, Tiamat, or Gilgamesh. But he hadn't chosen that path. Instead, he had confronted the Heaven's Corpse head-on, making its conquest his only option.

Why?

The answer had been there all along. If he couldn't gather the divine fragments and complete the main quest, he wouldn't be able to restore Mordred to normal, let alone bring her back from this game world. Though he had never expressed it openly, often seeming impatient and even teasing her playfully, he had never neglected Mordred. He cared for her deeply.

"Come, Gilgamesh—!"

"—Fujimaru Shirou!"

Just as the two were about to clash, the entire ground shook violently with a deafening boom. The surrounding vines, once docile, lashed out at Shirou and Gilgamesh like white blood cells attacking invading pathogens.

Both Shirou and Gilgamesh temporarily repelled the vines, Shirou with Evil Blossom and Gilgamesh with blasts of magical energy.

"Hmph! That white giant is so useless! She can't even hold on for a few more minutes! After she dies, that thing will cleanse everything in this place, including Zaun City. But that's not my business."

Gilgamesh scoffed, then glared at him. "I don't have time to play games with you anymore. Farewell, Fujimaru Shirou!"

With that, Gilgamesh ignored Shirou and the encroaching vines, braving their attacks as he rushed towards the passage hiding the divine fragments.

"Don't even think about it, that's mine—!"

Shirou started to move, but his body suddenly froze.

Gilgamesh was right. Altera was reaching her limit.

After Evil Blossom's evolution, it could even sense and absorb the malice of the White Titan. From the beginning, Shirou had sensed an ocean-like malice from Altera, but now it was like a flickering candle, on the verge of being extinguished.

His gaze flickered between the passage to the divine fragments and the one leading to the core of the Heaven's Corpse. He gritted his teeth. "You really got me, Gilgamesh! Damn it—!!"

Shirou spun on his heel and, contrary to Gilgamesh's path, charged towards the passage leading to the core of the Heaven's Corpse.

Gilgamesh's parting words had been a calculated jab, intended to make Shirou aware of Altera's dire situation.

Once Altera fell, without her holding the Heaven's Corpse in check, it would immediately purge Shirou and the others who had invaded its body, then proceed to devour all the residents of Zaun. The citizens and adventurers of Zaun meant little to him; he was no longer a king, he simply wanted to protect his own happiness. But Mordred and Illya were in Zaun!

How could they withstand the Heaven's Corpse, something even Altera couldn't fully contain? Moreover, his friendship with Altera was genuine, not a fleeting alliance of convenience. How could he stand by and watch her perish, then be consumed by the Heaven's Corpse? How could he allow that?

It was because of this concern that he abandoned the divine fragments he so desperately needed, the key to maintaining his initiative, and instead raced towards the passage hiding the core of the Heaven's Corpse.

Gilgamesh's words had been a devastating blow to him. But the fact that Gilgamesh could so accurately predict his actions was perhaps also a sign of trust. How to interpret that trust was a matter of perspective, but there was no doubt that in this psychological battle, he had lost to Gilgamesh.

Shirou reached the end of the passage. There, a gigantic, pulsating heart lay before him, roots tangled tightly around it. He could sense that this massive organ was the core of the Heaven's Corpse. Compared to its tough outer shell and those hunting spores, this heart felt incredibly fragile and vulnerable.

"Ex—"

He slowly raised the Holy Sword, and the air around him crackled with mana. The magical energy surged towards the blade, drawn to it like moths to a flame. It swirled and pulsed, a dazzling torrent of light that banished the darkness and illuminated his face with an ethereal glow.

"—calibur!"

With the final word, he brought the sword down.

Light roared.

A dazzling torrent of light, like a million stars exploding at once, burst from the heart of the Heaven's Corpse. It flooded the chamber, washing over everything in a blinding wave. The light surged upwards, a pillar of pure energy punching through the ceiling and reaching for the crimson sky above. It painted the clouds with an otherworldly glow, turning the night into a shimmering, impossible dawn.

"That is—" Illya's voice trailed off, her eyes wide with wonder as she gazed at the beam of light ascending towards the sky.

"It's Mom's sword. She did it!" Mordred clapped her hands in delight.

"Mom..."

The man behind Mordred looked at her joyous celebration, then raised his head to gaze at the beam of light, a complex expression flitting across his eyes.

"Yeah! That's my mom!" Mordred said proudly. "See? Isn't she amazing?"

The man was at a loss for words, unsure how to react.

...

As the core of the Heaven's Corpse was destroyed, the vines that had been constricting Altera loosened their grip.

Once freed, Altera collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Her body was riddled with a network of cracks. A few more seconds, and she would have been crushed to death.

But the Heaven's Corpse had fallen.

"It was you, friend, wasn't it? You saved me..."

Altera murmured, gazing at the dazzling starlight. It was the same light that had once destroyed her, and now it had saved her.

It was the light she had once feared and hated, yet now it felt so warm. Because, finally, she had someone by her side, a friend.

Was this what warmth felt like?

The Angels of Destruction ceased their attacks as the floating island began to crumble. Huge boulders fell from the sky, sending debris and shockwaves across the ground.

Inside the core chamber, Shirou looked at the destroyed heart and breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. He needed to get out before the island completely collapsed. But just as he turned to leave, his body froze.

A consciousness pierced through the barrier of malice and entered his mind, sending a chill down his spine.

This was something he recognized.

Crimson Moon had played this game with him before.

So, this is...

—It was you who brought me down, wasn't it?

The Heaven's Corpse!