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IBHJ Chapter 739
🕑 Added 2024-03-07 04:32:32 +0000 UTCBoth armies clashed with unwavering fanaticism, fighting for their beliefs and disregarding death. An army like this was undoubtedly the most terrifying, the last thing anyone would want to face. As a result, these two armies, these two meat grinders, collided, instantly creating a gory and deadly spectacle.
Shirou called back the Tower of Light, placing it within the white castle. From there, he unleashed a barrage of terrifying bombardment against the army of giants. Even though he had hundreds of thousands of Eternal Kingdom troops at his disposal, he refused to pave the path to victory with the lives of his soldiers. To him, that would be a desecration of life.
Moreover, he couldn't bring himself to repeatedly summon the fallen soldiers and generals. He didn't want to endlessly resurrect them; that would make the Eternal King no different from Odin, forcing them to fight to the death over and over, trapped in an endless cycle of violence and resurrection until their minds broke. It was truly a fate worse than death.
Shirou stood beside the Tower, his brow furrowed as he turned to see Chloe, who had effortlessly entered the castle using the Eternal King Class Card. Her eyes lit up when she saw the not-so-evil Shirou, and she hurriedly blurted out, "Oniichan, I knew you were just messing with me when you tried to capture me!"
"I don't think you're here just to tell me that, Chloe," Shirou said, raising an eyebrow. Chloe nodded urgently, her expression turning serious. "I need your help. Can you use your soldiers to evacuate the villagers from the other villages?"
He raised his eyebrows. "There are other villages around here?"
"Yes," Chloe nodded. "Skadi's domain encompasses both the human world and Asgard. We're near Muspelheim, and there's Village 6 nearby. There are also Villages 4 and 7 in the surrounding areas - seven villages in total. I can't handle the evacuation on my own."
Shirou frowned as he looked back at his struggling soldiers, an inner conflict evident on his face. Galahad, sensing Shirou's hesitation, spoke up without missing a beat. "My king, go and do what you need to do. We'll always have your back, just like you've always had ours. Don't worry about things here - leave it to me, Galahad! As a Knight of the Round Table, I swear I'll lead us to victory."
Shirou's expression softened, and he nodded in understanding. "Alright, Galahad, I'm counting on you!" His tone then turned serious as he added, "I'm ordering you to win this battle and then meet up with me at Chaldea. You have something you need to say to Mordred, don't you? She's at Chaldea right now. Just remember, failure is not an option - you must be victorious."
Galahad's eyes widened, a glimmer of hope and determination shining through. "Mordred is at Chaldea? That's incredible news! You have my word, my king. I will not fail. I will emerge victorious." His resolve was unshakable. Knowing Mordred's whereabouts only fueled his determination. He couldn't afford to lose, not when he finally had the chance to see Mordred and tell her the truth about what had happened all those years ago.
Shirou followed Chloe back to the village, a contemplative silence hanging between them. As they arrived, Shirou's frown deepened. While most of the villagers had already evacuated, a significant number of elderly people remained behind. Salter was earnestly trying to persuade them to leave.
Approaching them, he called out, "Saber, what's going on here?"
Salter turned to him, a look of relief washing over her face. "Eternal King, I could really use your help. Can you try to convince them to evacuate?"
The village chief spoke, his voice laden with weariness. "Please forgive us for causing you worry, divine envoy. We truly appreciate your good intentions, but we are old and tired of struggling. All we want now is to rest. Our presence will only be a burden to others. Take the young ones with you. They are still full of life and haven't yet faced the hardships of this world. That's why they still cling to life and fear death. Only after they've endured the struggles we have will they understand that in this world, death is the only true liberation."
Shirou's frown deepened as he asked, "Are you absolutely certain you won't come with us?"
The elderly villagers nodded in unison, their eyes devoid of any spark of life.
After a moment, Shirou sighed. "I understand." He turned to Saber and said, "Saber, go and catch up with Sigurd."
"But..." She began to protest.
Shirou cut her off. "Saber, listen to your heart, but don't let kindness blind you to the truth!"
She paused, her gaze shifting to the lifeless eyes of the elderly villagers, and fell silent. She understood. In this dying world, these people had lost their will to live. With a heavy heart, she turned and left.
As Salter departed, he turned to Chloe. "Chloe, you should go with her."
"What? But..." Chloe started to protest.
Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Were you planning on being my guide? There's no need. My eyes can see everything. Besides, they need you more than I do right now, don't you think?"
Chloe hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, I get it, oniichan."
As he turned to continue summoning soldiers for the rescue of the other villages, Chloe suddenly called out, "Oniichan, wait!"
He spun around, only to find Chloe's face unexpectedly close to his. Before he could react, she leaned in and kissed him.
Touching his face in surprise, he called out to the retreating Chloe, "Hey, what was that all about?"
Chloe looked back over her shoulder, a mischievous grin on her face. "Hehehe, I've been wanting to do that for ages. I figured today was as good a day as any!" She punctuated her statement with a playful wink.
"Chloe, you're not a kid anymore. It's time to start acting your age."
Chloe's grin widened. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Oniichan, you really haven't changed at all. I'd love to hear all about what happened during the thirteen years you were gone, but we can save that for the next time we see each other. Bye bye, see you later!" With a wave, she took off running.
He wiped his cheek where Chloe had kissed him, a chuckle escaping his lips. "And here I thought that after thirteen years, she'd have grown into a mature, level-headed young woman. Turns out, she's just become even more mischievous." He let out a sigh, his thoughts drifting to the others. "I wonder how they're all doing? I hope they're okay. Ah, well, no use worrying about that now. Let's see, who should I summon next?"
Shirou used his Clairvoyance to pinpoint the locations of the remaining villages in the area, counting a total of nine. Despite Surtr's army having breached Skadi's wall and invaded the inner region, their strict military discipline and training had spared the other villages from significant harm. Had Surtr's army been as disorganized, chaotic, and indiscriminate in their attacks as the fire giants who first invaded from beyond the wall, the villages in this area would have likely been reduced to ashes. However, if this armored giant army had indeed been as unruly and frenzied as those initial fire giants, Shirou's Eternal Army would have made short work of them, rather than finding themselves locked in the current stalemate.
Having determined the villages' locations with his [Clairvoyance EX], Shirou summoned several thousand soldiers and strategically divided them into five separate units. He then dispatched these units to assist the villagers in their evacuation efforts, ensuring that no one would be left behind in the face of the impending danger.
However, Shirou and the soldiers faced a disheartening reality after reaching the villages. Despite the looming threat of the giants' attack, most of the elderly villagers refused to leave. Their decision wasn't rooted in any sentimental attachment or unwillingness to abandon their homes; rather, they had simply lost all hope in this dying world and lacked the motivation to go on living.
In the end, only the younger villagers, who still clung to their hopes and dreams for the future, heeded the soldiers' call and agreed to relocate. While young people can sometimes be impulsive and reckless, there's no denying that, compared to the elderly who have resigned themselves to their fate, they possess an energetic and contagious enthusiasm for life.
Comments
JeanMartin Freites
This chapter had a rather somber reminder that in a world like this they are many people that genuinely have no reason to live. The interactions Shirou had in this chapter also pretty good. Especially with Chloe.
