"So amazing…"
At the top of the pyramid temple, Siduri gazed in awe at the armored army and the various mechanisms tirelessly eliminating the monstrous invaders.
"Actually, Siduri could have used it, but he fainted too early and missed it."
Siduri twitched his lips at the blunt comment.
Beside him, Ophis was engaged with a monster that was trying to breach her defenses but failing to penetrate the magical barrier surrounding her. As the monster crumpled into black sludge, Ophis burned away the residue with her magic and glanced upward.
A white horse flew through the air, hovering hesitantly outside Uruk's walls.
Ophis nodded, recognizing once more the unpredictability of that so-called "intuition." She deactivated the air defense mechanism temporarily. Why emphasize that it was "in reality"?
Sensing the immediate danger had passed, the white horse sped forward and landed next to Ophis and her companions.
"Lord Ophis, I have the final report on Mr. Merlin."
Lily greeted Ophis with a serious tone and then proceeded directly to the point.
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"Really? Merlin is dead?"
Ophis pondered after hearing Lily's report.
Merlin's true form was a nightmare, nearly impossible to destroy in reality. But in a dream, it was a different story.
Dying in a dream was a fitting end for him...
So, could a similar strategy be applied to the Great Red?
Considering the value of Merlin's death in opening a new path, Ophis set aside the matter and refocused on more pressing issues.
"Are humans evil?"
"This is what Mr. Merlin claimed. Do you have any insights?"
Ophis nodded.
She had no real understanding of what "human evil" entailed, but given Merlin's ability to kill in a dream, the source must be extremely powerful.
Although she wasn't familiar with it, there was a being residing in her consciousness who seemed to know everything...
[Human evil means different things in different worlds, but it's generally very dangerous... Of course, this is mostly nonsense. However, the danger of human evil usually targets humans, so it doesn't affect you. Conversely, human evil can only be defeated by humans or remains persistent as long as humans exist. This might explain why you can't confront Tiamat directly, right?]
Qi's lazy voice echoed in Ophis's mind once more after a long absence.
[As for human evil in this world... I'll transmit the specific information directly to your mind. These are the data I've gathered from Fate. You can review them yourself. After all, you can't have too much information.]
Ignoring the cryptic ending, Ophis relayed the information to Lily verbatim.
"The evil abandoned by mankind?"
Lily frowned.
"Whatever it is, it's not out of control."
Ophis shook her head.
"Is your Master at the north wall?"
A hint of embarrassment crossed Lily's face.
Seeing this, Ophis tilted her head.
"On the way to Uruk, then?"
"…"
Lily's embarrassment deepened.
Training to be a perfect knight had made her incapable of lying, so she could only stand there in silence.
Ophis's frown deepened.
"Did he go south?"
Lily nodded.
Ophis's expression grew more troubled.
Ideally, Chaldea would be blocked at the northern wall, and they might attempt to force their way back to Uruk. But why had they suddenly gone south? They shouldn't be aware of the current situation...
Then Ophis remembered the Servant she had paid the least attention to.
Her task had been simple assistance and healing, and Ophis hadn't given her much thought. This might mean she could potentially lead Ritsuka and the others here.
Putting aside these speculations, Ophis focused on Lily.
"Take me there."
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Medea looked grim.
Behind her, the entire Chaldea team, including the goddess, wore somber expressions.
Before them lay a lifeless woman on the ground. Her death was confirmed.
Yet, it was hard to believe this woman had been a monstrous being, screaming and launching suicide attacks just minutes earlier.
"My intuition was correct; this is indeed a tragic situation for us all."
Medea closed her eyes as she spoke.
"From my observations, there should still be a small number of monsters with some degree of past consciousness, but my Noble Phantasm cannot revive them. There are two possible reasons: one, they are fundamentally dead, and my Noble Phantasm cannot reverse life and death; the other possibility is that the power that transformed them exceeds my Noble Phantasm's capabilities."
"Could it be this 'human evil'?"
Worry flickered in Ritsuka's eyes. Beside her, Quetzal gazed at the once vibrant city now teeming with monsters that tormented human lives.
Ur had nearly become a dead city. The situation was even worse than anticipated... Are the weapons over there accurate?
Jingu emerged slowly from the woods.
Everyone noticed that the former BOSS was in poor shape.
Her once pristine white robe was torn to shreds, and purple flames sporadically erupted from her, causing her to grimace in pain. Most shocking was the gaping hole where her heart should have been.
"What you seek is on the coast."
Ignoring the instant wariness of the group, Kingu spoke calmly.
"What are you looking for? Why should we trust you?"
Mash held her shield up defensively, still cautious.
"Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
Kingu's voice was steady as she looked directly at Ritsuka, with everyone else's attention on Chaldea's Master.
"Go ahead."
Without hesitation, Ritsuka made her decision.
Her intuition had guided her well in the past, and she chose to trust it now.
Ritsuka then glanced at Kingu, a hint of hesitation on her face.
"Put aside your doubts and leave as soon as possible if you want to go."
"…I understand. Take care of yourself as well."
Finally, Ritsuka sighed and led the group away.
After they left, Kingu chuckled softly.
Sensing the threats pursuing her, she shook her head and swiftly departed in the opposite direction of Ritsuka.