IBHJ 1035

"Are you mocking me, Tethys!?" Saturn pointed at Shirou, glaring coldly at Tethys. "Betting on that human? You're saying we should stake the safety of the solar system, our siblings, on one human? Do you realize how dangerous that is?"

Tethys smiled. "But destroying Earth is also a gamble."

"That risk is smaller!" Saturn shouted. "We control that! You're suggesting we entrust our fate to a human and passively wait for destruction? Would you accept that?"

"I already did," Tethys smiled.

"That's why you're dead," Saturn said coldly.

"Yes, and that's why I'm sure I was right."

"Why?" Saturn pressed.

"Because he's Fujimaru Shirou."

Tethys smiled and dissipated like mist.

"Wait, Tethys!"

Saturn reached out but grasped only air. Tethys was gone. He stared at his empty hands, his brow furrowed in thought.

"What makes him so special? Why do you trust a human so much?"

Saturn's hands tightened into fists.

"Fujimaru... Shirou!"

...

Golden chains whipped through the air, striking down the monsters scaling the city walls. Blood sprayed where the chains hit, staining the stones dark red. Claws scraped against rock as bodies tumbled down. The creatures below seemed to recoil from the sight of the chains filling the sky, their assault faltering just enough for Enkidu to take a brief respite.

A sudden flash of light from the distant shore caught her eye, bright enough to stand out even amid the chaos. Enkidu turned, her features creasing with concern as her brow furrowed.

On the desolate plain, a colossal, ancient tree swayed and expanded in the wind. Its trunk, smooth as marble and completely transparent, soared into the blue sky. Lush branches and leaves spread out above, vibrant in the soft light of dawn.

"This is a problem," Enkidu muttered, her expression grim.

As she watched, the massive tree's branches twisted together, forming a hollow shape like the barrel of a cannon. Mana surged within, glowing green.

A moment later, a deafening roar split the air as a column of mana, at least 100 meters wide, erupted from the tree and slammed into Sanctuary's barrier. The blast lit up the morning sky brighter than the sun, forcing Enkidu to shield her eyes. Heat washed over her face like the breath of a furnace.

The barrier fractured like a mirror, its pure white surface shattering with the sound of breaking glass. And then the wall crumbled like paper, leaving a gaping hole that belched dust and debris into the air. Fierce winds howled through the breach, tossing soldiers from the wall like rag dolls. They crashed to the ground tens of meters away, their cries of pain spreading through the air.

The fierce wind unleashed by the blast was like Enlil's divine wind – even Enkidu struggled to stand against it. Just as she was about to be swept off her feet, a hand reached out from behind, steadying her with a firm grip on her shoulder.

"Gil..."

Enkidu turned, relief flooding her face, but her smile faltered. It wasn't her closest friend, but a young man clad in silver armor, his eyes clear and bright.

"I see, so that's the BOSS?" the youth murmured.

"Who are you...?" Enkidu looked at him in confusion. His eyes seemed familiar, but she was certain she'd never seen him in Sanctuary.

"It's me, Enkidu," the youth said, turning to face her.

Enkidu frowned, but as she met his gaze, a flash of realization crossed her mind. "Eternal King?" she gasped.

Shirou nodded with a smile.

"You've recovered? And you're already level nine?" Enkidu was stunned, his rapid progress leaving her speechless.

How was this possible?

How long has it been? Theoretically, this should have been impossible.

"I had a bit of help, nothing special," Shirou said with a shrug, dismissing the topic. He pointed towards the colossal tree in the distance, teeming with monsters. "That's the BOSS?"

"Yes." Enkidu nodded, her gaze fixed on the tree, her expression grave. "It's one of the supreme beings of the hidden map. In past attacks, it was the one generating the monsters and causing the beast waves. But it usually remained hidden. This time, it's not only emerged but is directly involved. This is unprecedented."

Monster invasions were simply in-game events for players – they focused on the gameplay and rewards, not the lore. But Enkidu was a Heroic Spirit summoned to this South American land. She was an active participant in its reality and knew the truth behind these invasions.

That enormous tree wasn't some monster generated by the Mooncell. It was a UO, a powerful entity carrying Uranus's will, much like Heaven's Corpse. A UO of creation and destruction, similar to the World Tree, and the true force behind this invasion.

"It hasn't attacked directly before? Seems like they're getting desperate..." Shirou frowned.

"Desperate?" Enkidu asked, confused.

"It's nothing." He shook his head and looked up at the cross-shaped UO dominating the sky. It had stopped its bombardment, as if something was holding it back.

Tethys must have succeeded in delaying it, he thought.

After recovering the lost age and intellect from the resurrection pyramid, Tethys had revealed the identity of the cross-shaped UO and gone to confront it.

—Saturn, the leader of the UOs.

Since Saturn had stopped attacking, Tethys must have managed to stall it, at least for now.

Shirou lowered his gaze, glancing at the distant Uranus, then turned to Mordred, who had followed close behind. "What do you think, Mordred? I wasn't wrong, was I?"

"To think there was another BOSS lurking around..." Mordred pursed her lips, then pointed at Saturn in the sky. "But it's no different from the one up there. You're not planning to attack that tree, are you? We might have stood a chance with that Heroic Spirit you had before, but Arcueid isn't here... Old man, I suggest you drop that unrealistic idea."

"If it were Uranus's true form, I wouldn't even consider it. But that thing is clearly an avatar or branch. We still have a chance." He paused, then added with a hint of annoyance, "And stop calling me old man!"

Mordred conveniently ignored his last remark. "How can you be so sure?"

"If you'd fought as many tree-like super beings as I have, you'd understand," he said, rolling his eyes.

Shirou had faced the Forest of Einnashe, Heaven's Corpse, and the World Tree. He was practically a specialist in taking down colossal tree-like entities.

"I have the Runes of Wisdom and Skadi's divine blessing. I can project Lævateinn, the world-ending sword, and cut down that branch of Uranus." he proposed.

"That's similar to what we discussed before, but—" Mordred gestured towards the horde of monsters surrounding the city. "What about these things? Don't tell me we're just going to charge through – that thing in the sky is still watching."

"True." He stroked his chin, glancing up at Saturn. "That attack earlier, the one that overpowered Rhongomyniad – if not for the Mooncell's protection over Sanctuary, it could have destroyed the entire island. No one could have stopped it. It's probably stopped attacking because Manaka Sajyou has stopped her invasion, and Mooncell has already started repairing the glitches. Even UO can't blatantly break the game rules now."

"Which means we need someone to hold back these monsters," he mused, stroking his chin.

"Exactly..." Mordred nodded, then looked at him pointedly. "So let's begin."

"Begin what?"

"Your Noble Phantasm, of course!" Mordred rolled her eyes. "Summon them! Summon the army!"

"Summon them to their deaths? With such a large target, Saturn won't hesitate to attack."

"It's not like they can actually die," she said dismissively.

Seeing her nonchalant attitude, he reached out and flicked her forehead. "Just because they won't die doesn't mean we can carelessly send them to their deaths. They trust me, that's why they exist within my Noble Phantasm. I've never treated them as mere tools."

Mordred, initially clutching her head and scowling at him, paused at his words.

Eternal King's Noble Phantasm could summon the Knights of the Round Table and the kingdom's army. It was a testament to the trust people placed in Eternal King, a ruler's tool for world conquest. But he didn't see it that way.

The people's trust and admiration were what allowed their phantoms to exist within his Noble Phantasm, and he would never treat them as mere tools.

Mordred, initially annoyed by his scolding, suddenly saw the fundamental difference between them. She realized the gap in their mindsets and their understanding of leadership.

However, she didn't voice these thoughts, instead retorting stubbornly, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Shirou could break through the enemy lines and create a path, but that would inevitably draw Saturn's attention. He needed someone to clear the way and distract Saturn, allowing him to reach Uranus's branch, project Lævateinn, and destroy it.

Essentially, he needed a shield.

"Sending my people to their deaths is out of the question. Besides, isn't there a more suitable option?" He smiled faintly.

"Adventurers!" Mordred's eyes lit up as she smiled.

Of course! How could they have forgotten about the adventurers?

Why risk their own forces when they could use others?

As expected of Eternal King, Mordred thought. All that talk about not using his people as tools, but clearly, he just needed substitutes to avoid weakening his own forces.

His heart is as black as ever.