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IBHJ Chapter 591
🕑 Added 2023-11-26 01:57:14 +0000 UTCShirou narrowed his gaze slightly as he looked at the follower describing the image of the leader. "Say that again!"
The man gave him a strange look. "I said... although our leader looks very similar to this young lady, she has a pair of big horns as head decorations."
Shirou pulled Kiara over and pointed between her eyebrows. "Is there also some strange dot right here between your leader's eyebrows?"
Kiara had an embarrassed look on her face as he grabbed her by the shoulders.
But he didn't look at her, staring intently at the follower instead.
The follower thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes!"
Hearing this, Shirou took a deep breath.
A Kiara with horns and strange dots between her eyebrows... That could only be the image of the Demonic Bodhisattva!
The words Karna did not finish - could it be he wanted to convey there was another Kiara Sessyoin out there?
And that Kiara...was she the Demonic Bodhisattva in her Third Beast form?
Lost in thought, he unconsciously squeezed Kiara's shoulder.
She winced. "Um, Mr. Assassin, you're hurting me."
"Sorry."
He came back to his senses and let go with an apologetic look on his face. But his mind was racing with countless thoughts.
If his guess was right, it made sense why Karna said to protect this Kiara.
But why were there two of them?
Was this Kiara truly the "key" Karna had mentioned?
Most importantly - was this really the connection point Chaldea had judged suitable to train newbies? It seemed likely the Third Beast could appear. Yet for a connection involving Cthulhu Mythos Heroic Spirits, they assigned newbies this task?
Shirou's mind swirled, though his expression barely shifted.
But the scene of subconsciously grabbing and hurting Kiara had already caught Mash's attention.
She couldn't help asking, "What's wrong, Mr. Fujimaru?"
Though Shirou had seemed flustered with Mordred earlier, to Mash he was mature and reliable.
"...It's nothing," he shook his head.
Kiara’s misunderstanding was cleared up, but some followers still stubbornly insisted she was their leader. Yet with Shirou there, they didn't dare act too brazen.
They kept arguing and Jeanne took the opportunity to wash their minds back.
With the religious debate ongoing, he lost interest and moved to leave.
Just then, a shocked cry rang out from outside.
Shirou stepped out the door.
It was around 2 o'clock in the afternoon now, which should have been the fiercest time for the sun, with glorious light shining everywhere. But now, the light outside was very dim, like the gloom before a rainstorm.
Outside the door, the people standing outside the village looked up at the sky, pointing at it in surprise.
Shirou also looked up slightly to gaze at the sky, and his eyes couldn't help but shrink sharply.
The cloudless sky should only have had the familiar black ring hovering in it. But now, an illusion had appeared - the phantom of a huge, pitch-black city, like a mirage in the sky.
No, it should not be called a city. Rather, it was a huge, cyclopean structure. The architecture of the structure was strange, the buildings boasting abnormal shapes that completely violated Euclidean geometry. Its unprecedented spatial design and dimensional scale subconsciously provoked a strong sense of disgust.
Within its darkness, a pair of massive eyes looked out like a god surveying the world.
Mash's face paled. "Mr. Fujimaru, isn't that R'lyeh?"
Shirou nodded with a calm expression, but there were storms in his heart.
The mirage was undoubtedly the R'lyeh the Red Caster had summoned before.
Not good.
Judging from the Chthonians that appeared earlier, there were probably Cthulhu Mythos Heroic Spirits in this connection point too.
Really not good. With hints of the Demonic Bodhisattva and the Cthulhu's presence...they were caught between a rock and a hard place.
And this...
Was it really Chaldea's connection point for newbies?
In the face of such a shocking change, Jeanne also temporarily put aside her actions to bring these heretical followers back to the right path.
She looked up at the mirage of R'lyeh in the sky, unable to conceal her astonishment, and murmured, "Could it be...Caster didn't die?"
"What should we do, Mr. Fujimaru? Didn't we already defeat the Red Caster? Could that evil god still be summoned somehow? What should we do?"
Mash forced herself to stay calm mentally, but perceiving something amiss with such an anomaly, all kinds of terrible speculations subconsciously arose in her mind, and she couldn't help asking anxiously.
"There's no need to worry, Master," Shirou reassured, his expression calm. "As long as I'm here, you have nothing to fear."
Mash felt her panic subside somewhat as she looked upon Shirou's calm face.
He's so reliable, she thought. I'm glad I have him by my side.
Jeanne turned to him, brow furrowed. "Assassin, are you certain the Red Caster is dead? Could we have made a mistake?"
Shirou met her gaze calmly. "Are you doubting me, or doubting yourself, Ruler?" He went on, not unkindly, "If you lack confidence, let me say plainly that I eliminated him completely. This is likely the work of others in the Red Faction."
"The Red Faction..." she murmured. Her frown deepened and she tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword.
She pondered for a moment, then turned to leave.
Her golden braid fluttered in the air, but he reached out and grabbed her shoulder, saying, "Don't do anything foolish."
She turned her head back, looking at him in surprise, "You know what I'm going to do?"
"Seeing your stance, you must be going to the Red Faction alone."
She nodded. "As Ruler, it's my duty to investigate them. Even if it means violating my principles, if there truly is another Servant like the Red Caster, I will force them off the stage directly with a Command Spell."
"If you are so confident in that privilege of yours, your death will not be far off," he countered, his eyes narrowing. "Have you forgotten how the Red Caster blocked your command spells?"
Her frown returned. "What would you have me do then? Judging by this situation, it looks like an evil god is about to be summoned. If I don't interfere..."
"Go to the Black Faction," he replied without hesitation.
She frowned, "But didn't you fall out with the Black Faction?"
"As long as interests align, even mortal enemies can become bosom friends," he replied evenly.
Hearing this, she nodded.
"Jeanne, from now until the connection point is solved, I hope you can assist us."
He paused before adding seriously, "Although you are the Ruler of this Holy Grail War, you are also a guardian of human history. Whether it persists or perishes is every Heroic Spirit's responsibility, since we all owe our existence to it. I hope you can see the bigger picture here and understand what is at stake. This is a crucial moment; I trust you will make the wise choice."
She smiled wryly. "With you appealing to my principles like that, how could I refuse?"
He returned a faint smile. "Principles alone won't sway anyone. I'm just stating facts. The choice can only come from your heart."
"Now I understand how you accomplished such great things even then. I wish I could learn that skill from you." she sighed.
Although Jeanne had not traveled with him for long, through her interactions with him she had come to understand why he was able to establish the Eternal Kingdom under such difficult circumstances. He exhibited strength, wisdom, composure, foresight and eloquence - truly indispensable qualities.
As Shirou led the group toward the Millennium Fortress, his plan was to win over the Black Faction so they could jointly deal with the Red Faction, which was highly likely controlled by the Third Beast and possibly had Cthulhu Mythos Heroic Spirits. He believed the bizarre mirage would not leave the Black Faction indifferent either.
However, Gray had already gone ahead with Saber to warn them of the dangers should the two factions join forces. By the time they arrived, Vlad would likely have already switched sides.
"Mash walked beside him and quietly asked, "Mr. Fujimaru, why are you so certain the Black Faction will cooperate with us?" Although she knew of the conflict between Shirou and the Black Faction, she could not understand the key factors." As an aspiring Master, there's much she needed to learn."
He glanced at the puzzled Mash and said, "It's quite straightforward when you consider conflicting interests. The Yggdmillennia clan prepared for this Holy Grail War for sixty years. I presume they have no wish to see their efforts jeopardized. As for myself, having already contracted with you to become a Servant of Chaldea, my aim lies in resolving the connection point, not claiming the Grail. I no longer have any conflicting interests with the Black Faction. There is, therefore, a basis for cooperation. By allying with them against the Red Faction, we would in effect boost their chances of obtaining the Grail, at virtually no cost to them. In negotiation terms, they stand to gain assistance in achieving their goal for free. Of course, then, they will cooperate."
"But what about emotional factors?" she asked, puzzled. "After all, you did betray them before, right?"
He smiled mildly. "Throwing tantrums... that's a luxury only children can enjoy. The likes of us cannot afford such extravagances."
She fell into thoughtful silence.
Comments
JeanMartin Freites
That last bit of dialogue was rather insightful.
