IBHJ Chapter 897

As modern magi continued to probe and pry at the Root, their efforts eventually disrupted the delicate balance of the sealed vortex, and it started to bleed into reality. This interference with reality triggered alarm among the Ultimate Ones who had suffered from the vortex in the past. They decided to take drastic action to prevent its manifestation, and the solution they came up with was to destroy Earth.

Gilgamesh finally realized that Clairvoyance's inability to see past 2004 wasn't due to the Fuyuki invasion, but the impending UO trial! This planetary trial posed a threat that even the strongest Heroic Spirits, including the wielder of the Holy Sword, couldn't overcome.

Gaia was right. This was a crisis that humanity couldn't stop until they reached the space age and possessed weapons capable of planetary destruction, like those seen in science fiction. Humanity was blind to the future, and the planet's time seemed to be running out.

Or so it should have been.

Shirou's resistance, combined with a series of fortunate events, changed everything. This twist of fate led to the manifestation of Gaia!

In a distant time, Shirou had pledged to protect Gaia to defeat Crimson Moon. When Fuyuki was invaded, Gaia descended on Arcueid, allowing Crimson Moon to achieve its goal of resurrection using Arcueid's body.

Shirou's defeat of the resurrected Crimson Moon sent Arcueid to the moon to prevent its return. This, in turn, allowed Gaia, trapped within Arcueid, to achieve manifestation using the Mooncell...

Even Gilgamesh, who'd finally understood the full extent of Gaia's manifestation, couldn't help but grimace. He let out a sigh as he realized Shirou's fate seemed to always be entangled with forces beyond his control.

And with Gaia's intervention, everything changed.

"I'll stall the Ultimate Ones' judgment and neutralize the vortex's influence," she explained, "but it's likely I'll fail. When that happens, I'll propose a wager. You and the others will step in to fulfill it and buy us time."

"Can you pull this off?"

"Of course. I've modeled my personality after the first human who dared to trick me, and I have someone here quite adept at this sort of deception."

Gilgamesh could have sworn he sensed Gaia's resentment towards the human she'd mimicked. But that was beside the point. The real issue was the impending planetary trial and the vortex.

"Thanks to Gaia's actions," Gilgamesh said, "the planets delayed their judgment until 2012, which led to the creation of the South American connection point and the subsequent bet. That was also the year those mongrels from the Council started making their moves. Chloe always nags me about being lazy and not dealing with connection points. Little does she know that this one is the most important. The bet lasts five years, and this is the final year. If we can't win and defeat Frieza, this planet is doomed."

"Exactly," Chain agreed. "That's why I was summoned to South America. In the past four years, we've managed to collect three of the necessary items for the conquest on our own. But the crucial component, the God's Brain, is needed to activate the items, and we've been stumped on how to proceed. You've been trying to defeat the Gatekeeper with new accounts, but you haven't succeeded. Instead, Evil Flower managed to do it... If only we could tell others about the bet, whoever got the God's Brain would surely give it to you, Gil."

Gilgamesh sighed. "The Ultimate Ones' game rules prevent us from revealing the bet or its details to anyone who isn't already aware."

"True," Chain conceded. "But is it possible that Evil Flower is someone from Chaldea?"

"I've already recommended the game to everyone interested," Gilgamesh replied. "I had high hopes for Mordred, but that brat prefers hanging around the King of Knights instead of gaming. Among the newer members, only Shirou doesn't mind online games, but he's currently using Merlin's account."

"So, you're saying Evil Flower must be a real adventurer?"

"Most likely a native," Gilgamesh mused, "though we can't rule out the possibility of a South American god. But that should be impossible now. The gods in that connection point were wiped out by the Ultimate Ones. And even if it were a god, they'd have to follow the game rules, like Quetzalcoatl. Nothing to worry about."

"Which leaves us with Morrigan?"

"Precisely," Gilgamesh confirmed. "Everyone else here is just a bunch of nobodies. Morrigan is the only one we need to be concerned about. Still, I have to get my hands on the God's Brain, no matter what!"

...

"So, we're stuck," Shirou mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he glanced at Illya.

"Yes, Artoria-neesan," Illya confirmed, having shared everything she'd learned. Worry creased her face. The situation was far from ideal.

Zaun was not a city known for its safety. There were no penalties for killing other players here – it was a lawless, chaotic place.

However, as the main city of the vampire race, Zaun did offer respawn points. This meant that dying here wouldn't be the end, but rather a frustrating cycle of death and rebirth until respawn chances ran out.

"The entrance is blocked by those high-level players, but luckily they don't know who we really are. Plus, two of those guys seem to be fighting. If we wait for things to get messy, we should be able to slip away," Illya suggested.

"Escape quietly, huh? That's your plan, Illya? Usually, it's a good plan, but I don't think so this time," he said with a smile.

Illya's gut churned with a sense of foreboding as she watched Shirou smile. "What are you up to, neesan?" she blurted out.

He didn't answer, simply beckoning Aqua to follow as he headed towards the door.

Illya's unease intensified, and she quickly trailed after them.

Stepping out of the room and looking down from the second floor, they saw a throng of players gathered below. A wave of chatter reached their ears.

"The top dogs of the biggest guild are going at it!"

"All the heavy hitters are here. Looks like we're out of luck, but at least we get a front-row seat to this showdown between the best of the best."

"I kind of feel bad for Evil Flower. They were the only one to finish that hellish newbie quest and get a unique item announced by the system, and now the big players are already gunning for them. Talk about rotten luck!"

"Yeah, Evil Flower got the short end of the stick. They haven't even had a chance to use that item and make a name for themselves, and now they're in the crosshairs of these bigshots. Maybe it would've been better not to complete that quest at all."

The players whispered amongst themselves, their words dripping with pity for Shirou. It was understandable, really. He'd conquered that brutal newbie quest and obtained a one-of-a-kind item, only to become a target for those who coveted his prize before he could even bask in the glory.

And it wasn't just any players gunning for him—there were a bunch of level 9 hotshots from the Sanctuary. It was like a fresh-faced hero, barely out of training, was getting attacked by the Demon King the moment he stepped out of the starting village. No matter how you looked at it, it was a real shame. Some adventurers couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy.

They were also curious who'd end up getting the reward from that hellish quest. Truth be told, from the get-go, they'd seen Shirou as a lamb to the slaughter. After all, he was just a fresh-faced newbie. Being targeted by the bigshots in this situation meant there was no way out.

As for running away? Forget it. Countless eyes were on them, and with the system and a bunch of high-level players watching their every move, escape was impossible.