IBHJ Chapter 907

He recalled the female player who had confronted Gilgamesh at the inn earlier. So that was Morrigan.

"I see," he nodded, "Thank you for telling me this."

"It's nothing, after all, you also gave us the God Brain," Enkidu replied with a smile.

Although they had agreed to draw lots for the God Brain, now that they knew each other's identities as fellow Heroic Spirits, surely it would be given to them, right? Moreover, with Gilgamesh's domineering personality and strength, even if someone else won the God Brain, how could they dare not hand it over?

At this point, Enkidu hadn't considered cooperating with Shirou. Due to his low level, he wasn't qualified to enter the Holy Land. Even if they started helping him level up by killing monsters now, there wouldn't be enough time for him to reach Lv9 and enter. Besides, there were other important items that needed to be collected, and this would take a lot of time.

Time was too tight, and neither she nor the other members of the Emperor Conquest Guild could afford to wait. Moreover, she knew Gilgamesh only got along with those he acknowledged, and unfortunately, the King of Knights wasn't one of them.

Enkidu asked curiously, "By the way, King of Knights. How did you get Lady Ishtar to leave earlier? She's not easy to deal with. Gil and I had our share of trouble with her back in the Age of Gods. She was notorious for being a headache. How did you get her to leave so obediently?"

"Uh, well, about that... I used some special techniques..."

After hesitating, he could only say this.

"Special... techniques?"

Enkidu tilted her head, looking completely baffled.

"I got it! I got it! Hahaha! My life is about to change! Take that, Luvia! Once the Human Order is restored, I'll sell this jewel and buy out your whole family! You'll learn the power of money!"

Clutching the jewel Shirou had thrown, Rin soared through the sky on her flying boat, ecstatic. Her days as the fallen heir to a declining family were finally over. With this Eternal Star, the Tohsaka family would rise again under her leadership.

"The Eternal Star, the jewel from Eternal King's crown. It'll fetch at least ten billion dollars... But is this kinda unfair to that annoying guy? Ah, whatever, the King of Knights threw it away. I just picked it up, so finders keepers!"

She gleefully opened her hand to admire her treasure, then froze.

Sunlight streamed through the clouds, illuminating the "Eternal Star" in her palm with a crystalline glow.

It was a glass marble.

"!!!"

"Artoria—!!"

The goddess's enraged cry echoed across the sky as dark clouds rolled in. Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and beams of magical energy rained down, bombarding the forest.

Shirou glanced at the destruction in the distance. "Has she lost it?" he muttered, shaking his head.

Enkidu, seeing the goddess' rampage, felt a bead of sweat trickle down her face. "What exactly did you do to Lady Ishtar, King of Knights?" she asked, turning to him.

"Nothing much, I just... teased her a little," he mumbled, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

"Teased?" Enkidu gave him a confused look. She couldn't fathom how he had provoked Ishtar to such an extent in such a short time.

He averted his gaze, pretending not to notice her gaze. He was too embarrassed to admit that Rin, or rather Ishtar, had been lured away by a glass marble. It would surely shatter any image Enkidu had of Lady Ishtar.

If there was any image left to shatter, that is.

The priority now was to escape this Unexplored Zone, a hidden map within the Thunder Mountain Cave.

Zaun City and its hidden map were surrounded by mountain ranges. Space was tight here. While Rin had sealed the Thunder Mountain Cave entrance, escaping was still possible by reaching the map's edge. And in unfamiliar territory, their first priority was to figure out where they were.

Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven created by the gods, could usually communicate with surrounding plants and animals to find her way. Unfortunately, this ability didn't work in the hidden map. Nothing in this dense forest responded to her. So, they would have to find another way to figure out their location.

Shirou led Enkidu to a large tree shattered by Rin's attack and examined the rings. This connection point was in South America, so this virtual world must be based on it too. South America spans both hemispheres, with different tree ring growth patterns. By studying the rings, he determined they were in the Northern Hemisphere and figured out their direction. He even mentally mapped the hidden space based on ring density and the distance to the Thunder Mountain Cave.

"This way," he said, pointing towards a distant mountain range. "That should lead to Zaun City's wilderness."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted towards two towering ancient trees nearby. His mental map said that was the most efficient route, but the black light had come from there. Given his current low level, it was best not to risk it.

"Artoria—!!"

Tohsaka's furious roar echoed through the forest. Consumed by wrath, she unleashed a torrent of destructive mana blasts, one after another. Even the angels were stirred into a frenzy.

This didn't bother Shirou and the others as they pressed on, since they were heading in the opposite direction from Tohsaka.

"Honestly, I haven't seen Lady Ishtar this angry in a long time," Enkidu said, looking up at Tohsaka's indiscriminate bombing. "It's like when she stole jewels from Uruk's treasury and Gil chased her out of the city."

"Really? Ishtar did that?" Shirou asked curiously. He wasn't one for gossip, but he loved mythological tales. That's why he knew so much about them.

"Yes," Enkidu nodded, a hint of emotion in her voice. "Not only that, but when she learned that nearly all the world's treasures were hidden within Humbaba, she tried to steal them but was captured by him. He then forced her to marry him."

"What happened then?" Mordred asked, equally curious.

"Her brother asked Gil and me to defeat Humbaba. To be honest, I was terrified when I learned we had to face him. He was a magical beast even the gods feared. But Gil encouraged and persuaded me, so we defeated Humbaba, got the treasures, and rescued Ishtar. Gil always regretted it, though."

"Speaking of which, Enkidu," he said, looking at her. "I remember in the myths you died because of Ishtar, right? And you tore off the Bull of Heaven's thigh and threw it at her face. But you don't seem to resent her now."

"I did do that," Enkidu admitted, scratching her cheek sheepishly. "But that was towards the original Ishtar. This Lady Ishtar, maybe because of the body she's in, seems to be a lot more tolerable, even though her cruelty remains. I can't seem to bring myself to dislike this Lady Ishtar, perhaps due to the influence of the host's personality."

Clearly, with her deep understanding of Ishtar, Enkidu had quickly understood Rin and Ishtar's situation.

"Besides," she continued, "I was originally a weapon created by the gods. I'm grateful they made me, even more so that they allowed me to meet Gil."

Enkidu's smile was gentle. "So, there's nothing to resent. When I died, Gil learned to cherish life, understood tolerance, and became a wiser king. If I'd always been there, it might have hindered his growth. In that way, I'm grateful to Ishtar, and to the gods who created me."

"It looks like you're very fond of Gilgamesh," he remarked.

"Yes, he's my close friend, and I love him," Enkidu said with a smile.

Shirou shuddered and quickly stepped away. Though Enkidu looked and sounded feminine, he had no idea if she was actually male or female. Seeing that she was even flatter than Artie was as a child, he couldn't help but think of her as a trap.

"Hm?" she asked, confused. "What's wrong, King of Knights?"