High above, Young Gilgamesh furrowed his brow, clearly intrigued by the sudden appearance of the Empress. Her aura and qualities were immediately captured by his keen senses. A monarch of her caliber, who should have belonged to his level, willingly serving someone else was beyond comprehension.
Feeling the subtle yet almost accusatory gazes from Gilgamesh and Young Gilgamesh, Shinji inwardly sighed. The card was automatically bound to the system's owner, so what could he do? It's not like he asked her to call him "Leader"!
"Use that move, you understand?" Shinji instructed.
"Yes," the Empress replied calmly. She glanced at the approaching horned giant, then nonchalantly aimed her crossbow at Darius.
A light blue arrow, formed of pure energy, appeared in the quiver on her back. The process of drawing, nocking, and shooting the arrow was smooth and without hesitation, as if it were a mundane task. The blue arrow hit Darius, instantly freezing him into an ice sculpture.
Absolute Zero.
Surpassing the 301-second eternal ice palace Noble Phantasm Darius used in the original work, this arrow contained the concept of absolute zero, freezing anything it touched instantly.
While everyone was stunned by the Empress's display, she shot another Absolute Zero arrow, freezing the hole pouring out black mud.
"The duration of the freezing effect is supported by the Leader's life force."
Hearing the Empress's words, everyone was surprised, especially Shinji. He had never heard the Empress speak on her own before, and it seemed like she was explaining it to the group.
"Shinji, you…" Shirou was moved, his eyes brimming with tears, resonating with Shinji's sacrifice.
Ignoring Shirou's emotions, Shinji looked at the hole and the box in the sky, pondering how to seal them permanently. If possible, it would be best to get rid of this ticking time bomb of a box…
Within two seconds, Shinji made a decision. The hole and the box could no longer remain in the real world.
...
Blue sky, white clouds, vast wilderness.
Countless soldiers in armor, holding long swords, stood in neat formations, solemn and upright.
Dressed uniformly, the female archers moved in sync, displaying heroic figures.
Robust boar riders wielding maces were full of excitement, as if saying, "Leader, include me in this lineup for a guaranteed three-star victory!"
The mages gripped their staffs, smirking, fireballs at the ready, as if saying, "Even thick blood is just two fireballs away!"
Angels, stone golems, blue giants, skeleton soldiers, goblins, balloon troops, witches...
Seeing these familiar units, Shinji felt as if he had traveled into his old COC account or that it had been hacked. Of course, he didn't have time to think about it; every second, his life span was shortening rapidly. He instantly chose the most suitable fantasy creature—Thunder Dragon!
No in-game gems in reality, so spend life points to complete training instantly!
With a dragon's roar, everyone snapped out of the illusion that had drawn them in.
Awake, everyone stared in disbelief at the colossal blue dragon, crackling with lightning, roaring incessantly.
Each flap of its wings brought a fierce wind, and only Shinji, Gilgamesh, and the Empress could stand without support.
"Leader, this world's rules are resisting..."
"Use those rules. Keeping that thing here does no good. Sending it to the other side of the world is the best move."
Understanding Shinji's plan, the Empress nodded, raised her hand, and whispered something. The Thunder Dragon, receiving the command, nodded and flew straight toward the box in mid-air.
The dragon's massive maw, filled with destructive lightning, clamped onto Pandora's box.
Before leaving, the dragon glanced at Shinji, roared with an emotion-laden cry, then flew off into the distance.
"It said, 'Finally… I see you again, Leader.'"
"Huh?"
Shinji, bewildered, looked at the Empress, not understanding her words.
"Such an army has never appeared in any legend," Cu Chulainn marveled, then looked at the Empress. "Hey, who are you? Do you know me? I'm Cu Chulainn from Celtic mythology."
Unexpectedly, the Empress responded.
"A god... should die!"
Sensing the murderous intent, Shinji quickly stopped the Empress.
"Wait—!"
"Apologies, Leader. Because the most important thing to you was stolen by a god, I couldn't control myself."
"Though I don't know what setting or identity I have for you, remember that you're consuming my life force!"
"My apologies. I deserve death."
The Empress drew a black arrow from her quiver, ready to stab herself.
Seeing this, Shinji shouted, "What's wrong with you? Why would you kill yourself? Can't you take a joke? And your suicide technique also consumes my life force! Just stay put and do nothing until the fantasy creature enters the inner world!"
"Understood, Leader."
"Thief?" Gilgamesh looked at the Empress. "What did the god steal?"
The Empress paused, then spoke.
"Dreams."
"Huh?"
Shinji, confused, looked at the Empress. Did her setting really have such detailed backstory?
"Roar—!"
A giant's roar interrupted Shinji's thoughts. He saw Darius breaking free from the Absolute Zero ice!
Watching the giant king break free and charge towards the dragon, Shinji stopped the Empress from acting again.
"Leave him. Dealing with him would drain more energy. Let him go to the inner world."
Hearing this, Illya understood Shinji's plan. "Using the fantasy creature to take the box into the inner world—that's your method to save this world?"
"Yes. The inner world is stronger than the real world. Even if it affects the real world, it would first have to deal with the Sea of Stars."
"You…"
Illya dropped the argument, unable to counter his reasoning.
"The box must stay in this universe to maintain some balance. It could be taken out, but the consequences might be disastrous. Losing that balance could accelerate the world's destruction."
Shirou, confused, asked, "What do you mean by the inner world and Sea of Stars?"
Shinji answered, "Just know this world won't be destroyed by Darius. The inner and outer world concepts are unnecessary for humans to understand. Knowing more brings greater conflict and pain, realizing all modern civilization is like handouts from the mystical side!"
Listening to Shinji, Shirou scratched his head, unable to comprehend.
At that moment, Darius, now a giant king, caught up with the dragon about to enter the inner world, grabbing its tail.
Watching Darius vanish into the inner world with the dragon and the box, Shinji felt a sense of melancholy. As Young Gilgamesh noted, Darius's obsession and arrogance were godlike.
If not for this situation, Shinji would have liked to see his new world and human history. But as someone who helps friends, he had to intervene.
"What was Darius trying to do?" Luvia, the second largest woman present, asked the crucial question.
"Save humanity, of course," Shinji shrugged.
Everyone was stunned by his answer.
Shinji ignored their questions, ready to part with the Empress. The card had only three uses; after that, they had to say goodbye.
"Alright, I don't know why you were like a doll before and now have clear consciousness, but thank you."
"No, it is my duty, just as you once did for us. It's good to see you starting a new life..."
Shinji didn't pay much attention to her words, casually saying, "Don't worry. When I get back, I'll have the company develop COC. Once the game is out, I'll max out your level with in-game purchases."
Suddenly, Shinji's world changed!
He found himself in a vast, empty white space, instantly realizing he was in his own mental world.