IBHJ Chapter 910

The Ultimate Ones, also known as the Aristoteles, are the apex predators of their respective planets within the solar system. Each one possesses the power to single-handedly wipe out all life on Earth. Their arrival during the Land of Steel's apocalyptic era plunged the world into an endless war.

To understand the sheer might of a UO, one need only look to Arcueid. Though not as strong as Crimson Moon, her "continent-kicking" strength is legendary, solidifying her status as a True Ancestor princess. While the other UOs may not reach the cosmic heights of Ultraman or Interstellar Mothership Chaos, they far surpass Crimson Moon in both power and scale. They are solid powerhouses, ranking among the most powerful entities in the TYPE-MOON universe.

One such UO, the Fifth of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, is the UO of Mercury. It landed in South America in ancient times, and for thousands of years, many forces, including gods, have tried to eliminate it, but all have ended up being killed instead.

The very notion of facing such beings as enemies was unfathomable. Yet, according to Ishtar, the owner of this hidden map was one such Ultimate One—the UO of Venus, known as Heaven's Corpse.

This revelation was baffling. Weren't UOs, aside from the confused Mercury one who had arrived prematurely, supposed to descend to Earth only after Gaia's death? Why was the Venus UO here now? He didn't doubt Tohsaka's words; there was no deceit in her voice, and she had no reason to lie.

More importantly, after merging with Ishtar's divinity, he didn't believe Rin had the wisdom or wit to deceive him. But why? Why would a UO exist in this connection point? Was Venus UO a member of the Council?

No, that was impossible. If UOs were on the Council, Chaldea would be powerless to fight back. Sure, Chaldea had powerful Heroic Spirits, but a UO could wipe them out with just one casual sweep. There would be no resistance, only waiting for the inevitable end.

But if not the Council, then why was a UO here? And if this hidden map was connected to the main storyline and Emperor Frieza, did that mean Frieza and his Gundam were also UOs?

The memory of the terrifying black giant that had appeared after the Gatekeeper's defeat filled him with immense pressure.

Indeed, the more you know, the more pressure you feel.

For now, though, the priority was to escape this Heaven's Corpse.

After confirming the identity of the Heaven's Corpse, he knew without a doubt that the feeling of true death upon dying here was real. It explained why Rin had temporarily set aside her goddess pride and guardian duties, becoming a turncoat.

With Rin on their side, things became easier. As she explained, the Heaven's Corpse was still awakening, unable to exert its full power. Its strength was within a range that he and the others could manage. The attacks from the flora in this map were insignificant; the real threat came from those Angels of Destruction.

Now that he knew the true nature of this map as the Heaven's Corpse's territory, he understood that these Angels of Destruction weren't angels at all, but spores of the Heaven's Corpse – its hunting and predation spores.

The Heaven's Corpse's true form was an invasive environmental bio-incubator plant, a parasitic UO that could absorb the concepts of its prey, gaining their intellect and cognition. It then transformed its predatory spores into beautiful representations of the prey's consciousness to carry out its hunts.

In the traditional sense, angels are indeed human fantasies of beautiful visions. In other words, the Heaven's Corpse had already absorbed the concept of the human species from some unfortunate soul before this.

Although the Heaven's Corpse and its spores were terrifying, they had lost their calm and intellect due to their frenzy. He had Mordred use Incubus's skill to deceive the Angels of Destruction, leading them away.

Watching the angels fly away, she looked at him happily and asked, "How was that, Mom? Wasn't I great?"

"Mm. Very good," he patted her little head.

Indeed, it was very good. Despite being a low-level succubus, she had skillfully used illusions to conceal their presence and create phantoms, fooling the Angels of Destruction and making them fly in the opposite direction. It was clear that Mordred was quite suited to being a succubus.

"Of course! Uncle Merlin always uses illusions to play tricks on me. I'm very experienced with deception," she patted her chest with pride. It was obvious she was quite pleased with her skills.

He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Just what had that idiot Merlin been teaching Mordred?

...

The group raced towards the border. According to Rin, the area around Thunder Mountain Cave was swarming with Angels of Destruction, cutting off their return. Their only escape from the Heaven's Corpse was through the border.

—Don't go.

A voice whispered, laced with sorrow.

—You'll leave me so lonely. Please don't abandon me.

It was a lie, like sirens luring sailors to their doom. He wouldn't fall for it.

The Heaven's Corpse had just awakened. If they lingered, once it was fully awake, they would be like sheep among wolves, with no chance of escape.

—Don't go. You smell so delicious. Let me have a taste, just one little taste.

Yup. This creature finally showed its true colors.

The earth ripped open, vines exploding from the depths like skeletal claws. They lashed out, trying to grab him and the others.

Rin, riding high on Maanna, pulsed with magical energy. Blazing ribbons of light shot out from the golden vessel, incinerating the grasping vines.

"Think you can catch me? I am Ishtar, the noble goddess!" she lifted her chin with pride.

"That's Lady Ishtar for you! Always dependable!" Enkidu cheered.

But before the words were fully out, a vine burst from the ground, wrapping itself around Rin's leg. She was yanked into the air like a rag doll.

"Ahhh!" she shrieked.

"Wow, Lady Ishtar! What a move! I could never pull that off!" Enkidu's compliments continued, a playful tone in her voice.

Even the usually gentle Enkidu couldn't help but reveal her malicious inner thoughts. Shirou slowly backed away; no wonder this person became Gilgamesh's best friend.

"Would you guys quit staring and help me already, ahhhhh—" Rin shouted, panic rising in her voice.

Hanging there helplessly, she felt totally exposed. And worse, she could feel the Heaven's Corpse sucking the life out of her through the vines.

Shirou sighed. It couldn't be helped. She was Sakura's sister, after all. He raised Excalibur, firing a beam that sliced through the vines clinging to her legs.

"About time, King of Knights! You should've jumped in the second I screamed!" Rin griped.

"...If you want to save yourself further embarrassment, I suggest you let Rin take control, Lady Ishtar," he said flatly.

"Embarrassment? Me? What are you talking about? I'm the goddess of love and youth, flawless in every way. How could I possibly embarrass myself? Did I do something embarrassing?" Ishtar sputtered.

"Oh, come on, Mom. That wasn't embarrassing at all! That super advanced move, face-planting from a hundred and eighty degrees and eating dirt? No way we could ever pull that off," Mordred chimed in.

"Right, right! It was a high-level technique, not a mistake. There's no way you could learn it." Ishtar folded her arms, coughed dryly a few times, and nodded.

"So I recorded it, and when we get back to Chaldea, I'm gonna upload it to the network for everyone to see. Such an awesome move deserves to be shared," Mordred said with a bright, cheerful smile.

Ishtar: "..."

That little brat!

Just then, a towering, ancient tree in the distance shuddered, then lurched toward them like a walking colossus.

"This is bad!" Ishtar's face paled. "If that tree starts moving, it means it's fully activated. When the other tree can move on its own, it's completely awake."

Shirou nodded grimly. He had no desire to tangle with the Heaven's Corpse. Dealing with Crimson Moon was already a headache; he didn't need another Ultimate One on his plate. Gaia could handle that mess.

They sprinted towards their pre-planned escape route, a range of jagged mountains. In one of the peaks, there was a massive, charred hole in the side—the result of the black light blast when the Heaven's Corpse first counterattacked.

"Was this his target all along?" Enkidu looked at Shirou with surprise.

Normally, no one would remember the effects and details of an enemy's attack, but this guy had factored the opponent's attack into his calculations. What did this mean? Not only sharp observation and memory but also the ability to process information and make decisions while keeping the bigger picture in mind.

"Truly an outstanding king," Enkidu complimented, then added with a smile, "Though not as impressive as my Gil, of course."

Shirou: "..."

Although I know you have no gender and no vulgar thoughts, please choose your words more carefully, Comrade Enkidu.