Otherwise, you can find another savior.

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However, as human technology has developed step by step, many things that could only be done by magic have gradually lost their mystery, and the scope of magic has gradually shrunk.

Finally, magic declined.

The changes that occurred in clock towers after the Industrial Revolution are one of the outward manifestations of this decline.

Among these, the most threatening technological invention to magicians is modern firearms.

Its existence means that ordinary people who are not magicians also have an effective means of killing magicians.

More deadly and more effective than cold weapons.

Although Shiomi himself is not fond of firearms, he believes that when dealing with magicians or even the agents of the Holy Church, weapons such as guns and cannons should be actively deployed.

For example, right now—

"Ah……"

Scáthach, who was defending with a magical barrier, let out a cold laugh.

"These bullets contain magic; in a sense, they are saturated magical attacks with physical form, launched using modern weapons," Morgan commented casually, her gaze sweeping across the surrounding wilderness.

The wilderness, where there were hardly any fighting beasts a moment ago, suddenly became teeming with them, like a tidal wave.

Numbering in the tens of thousands, they were a terrifying, wild, armed force.

"Is it ready, Tianxi?" Artoria rarely asked Xijian.

The number was simply too large, even though the combined defenses of Scáthach and Morgan prevented these war beasts from climbing the hillside.

The problem is that there is also a re-enactment of Surut.

The black sun overhead was gradually cracking open, revealing the hand of the fire giant Surtur.

Even if you have defeated an opponent once before, if you are only focused on dealing with the overwhelming barrage of artillery fire, you will inevitably expose dangerous weaknesses to such an opponent.

"It'll be soon," Shio said.

Artoria was inquiring about the severing of the spiritual veins.

Only by severing the spiritual veins can the regeneration of battle beasts and their reappearances be prevented; otherwise, releasing the Noble Phantasm will ultimately only clear out a group of battle beasts.

Magic is finite, but enemies are infinite.

Just like pest control, the problem of pest breeding must be solved at its root.

boom--

Suddenly, there was the sound of artillery shells.

Surprised, Scáthach and Morgan strengthened the defensive barrier.

The shells exploded overhead, shaking the desolate hillside, but the shockwaves and flames did not reach the people.

"They've even prepared artillery... no, missiles?" Scáthach exclaimed.

Amidst the continuous barrage of gunfire, combat beasts capable of launching small missiles were added, unleashing artillery barrages from a distance.

"I can't wait any longer," Shio sighed.

“I’m not in a hurry,” Scáthach said.

“I didn’t say you, Master,” tide Jian had to clarify. “I was talking about Koyanskaya. If we show even the slightest weakness, she thinks she can wipe us out here.”

Taigong Wang spoke through the uninterrupted communication: "No, it's probably a display of his power, or... it's fear."

“Fear?” Morgan was surprised, then thought it made sense. “I must have suffered more than once at Wufu’s hands, and I know how powerful Wufu is now. If I were an enemy, I would also feel fear.”

"Similar, but perhaps not quite the same," Taigong Wang said. "What the Beast fears is that it can no longer control its own destiny."

Taigong Wang's words left Xijian speechless for a moment.

Take control of your destiny.

The words that sound perfectly correct are actually incredibly extravagant.

There are very few people who can truly control and determine their own destiny.

Even if you walk the path you believe you have chosen, are you, in fact, simply choosing the only option you could have?

It's reasonable for Koyanskaya to feel fear; even someone as powerful as the Beast has its own natural enemies.

"...Artoria, prepare to unleash the true name of your Noble Phantasm," Shiomi said. "I will take over the magical defenses that Azuma has set up. You should also begin preparing to use your Noble Phantasm."

The attack on the spiritual veins has been cut off, and the seemingly endless army of battle beasts shows no sign of increasing in number.

Morgan stepped back, back to back with Artoria, facing their respective directions, gathering their magical power.

The light of the "God's forbidden fire" enveloped them.

"Holy Lance, tell your story... 'The Lance that shines at the end!'"

"Sleep forever in the wilderness, beasts. 'The utopia that can no longer be reached!'"

Golden and azure light swept across both sides of the wilderness in an instant. The roaring battle beasts were completely swallowed up by the surging magic. The scale of the artillery fire gradually slowed down and eventually fell silent.

As the two beams of light gradually faded, the wilderness looked as if it had undergone a plowing, with even the surface layer being dug away.

The bloodstains that hadn't dried were gone, as were the carcasses of the wild beasts lying on the ground.

What remains is an even more desolate wilderness than before.

But at that very moment, Surte emerged from the black sun, wielding a flaming greatsword, and headed towards where Shiomi and the others were.

"Watch out, Lord Tianxi!" Nikitich shouted a warning.

"Don't worry, they can handle it." Taigong Wang was much calmer, like a prophet who could see the outcome at a glance.

The flaming greatsword that was being swung at the crowd stopped abruptly above their heads.

It wasn't that they gave up the attack, but rather that their advance was halted by the appearance of an equally massive Noble Phantasm.

Marduk's Axe.

“I think I’ve seen this episode before,” Scáthach said.

“I’ve seen it too,” Morgan echoed.

Her lack of nervousness almost made tide Jian lose her breath and fail to jump into the sky.

Artoria gave a wry smile and chose to encourage Shio, "Don't worry about it, Tenki. Go ahead and do it. We'll catch you if you fall."

“Not this time. Back then, I just wasn’t skilled enough at controlling my power.” Shio shook her head.

With that, he leaped into the air and flew to a position even higher than Surut, looking down at the giant who was slowly raising his head.

A replica of Surut Fenrir.

A combination of ice and fire.

Judging from the strength of Ivan the Terrible's reappearance, it is probably even more outstanding in terms of vitality than the original body.

Therefore, precise control requires effort.

As if controlling an arm, Marduk's Axe moved and changed with Shiomi's movements, its divine light enveloping the giant axe, transforming it into a treasure capable of splitting the heavens and earth.

Taigong Wang gazed at the treasure, a hint of surprise and admiration in his eyes.

He didn't know all of Shiomi's trump cards.

"Enuma Elish, the poem of creation!"

Chapter Eighteen: The Truth Behind the Strange Tales

"If you're considered a top-tier magician, don't you have any means of transportation to help you move quickly?" Scáthach asked. "Like those sand carts we rode in at the singularity in The Lion King?"

“No,” Morgan replied indifferently.

"Is it that you don't have it, or that you can't make it?" Scáthach asked. "I remember my apprentice saying that you made one of those cars when you were on your pilgrimage to Britain."

"It's not a difficult technique anyway. How about I tell you how to do it yourself?"

“This is a bit tricky. I only want to be in charge of combat and have no interest in logistics.” Scáthach’s tone revealed her aversion to trouble.

After dealing with the reappearance of Surtur Fenrir, Shiomi did not show any symptoms of excessive magic consumption.

So the group headed toward the heart of the killing field.

Because the terrain was generally open, the group could only move on foot.

In fact, they are very efficient at moving around and don't get tired easily. They even avoid areas where they can be discovered by fighting beasts, which can then harass and disrupt their movements.

Scáthach was simply joking around with Morgan, talking about trivial things to pass the time; she didn't actually need a car.

"...Then let me answer Lord Taigong Wang's question first, just to check the answers."

Meanwhile, Shiomi kept in touch with Taiko-no-Wang as they walked. The intensity of the attacks from the Strange Kin that the two were facing had also decreased, and they were preparing to meet up with Shiomi's group before confronting Koyanskaya.

"In conclusion, this is not a singularity or Lostbelt, but a Reality Marble. It is the Reality Marble created by Beast, Tamamovich Koyanskaya," Shiomi said. "When I severed the spiritual veins here, I discovered the abnormal nature of the magical energy flowing within them, just like it flows within a living organism."

When his conversation with Taiko no Mochi got down to business, Morgan and Scáthach joined in, each putting an arm around his arm as they listened to his dialogue and exchange of information with Taiko no Mochi.

"A Reality Marble?" Scáthach thought for a moment. "A paradise devoid of humans, and a hell where weapons used to kill humans roam freely. It does fit the spiritual image that Gyonkaya presents to us."

“If her mental state shaped this world, then this world is a denial of human existence, a stark irony of civilization,” Artoria said. “But if this place we’re in really is a Realized Boundary… can something like that really last for a long time?”

Even a world that is a blank slate is still a complete world.

As the Reality Marble erodes reality and unfolds, it will be subject to correction from the world.

Resisting this correction and maintaining it requires immense magical power.

Depending on the size of the enchanted barrier, the required magical power will vary, but for the user, it is generally not an easy task.

Both "Army of Kings" and "Unlimited Blade Works" have this problem.

“But there is a shortcut,” Morgan said at this point. “That is to create a barrier within the user’s own body, which can bypass the world’s correction. The Temple of Time that Goetia created using the remains of the Magic King is also a kind of method.”

However, for the Demon King, the Temple of Time itself was more important than maintaining the barrier.

"As Lord Morgan said, based on my investigation of this place before you arrived, I believe that this special realm, including its outer shell, is actually Goyanskaya herself. She has infinitely expanded her spirit origin and sits in the old Tunguska forest region."

“Not only that, since this is Koyanskaya’s Realm of Rejection of Humans, the common ground between the Survival Domain and the Killing Domain can be explained,” Shiomi said. “More importantly, all the life we ​​have seen so far, whether animals, plants or even combat beasts, were born from this Realm of Rejection and are brothers and sisters who exist equally with each other.”

"Whether it's animals, plants, or battle beasts, the creatures of this world do not mate. Without growth, without gaining experience, and without genetic cooperation, they cannot evolve. All cycles within this world originate from Koyanskaya, and through natural cycles and killing cycles, they return to Koyanskaya. In a sense, it is a world even more closed off than Singularities and Lostbelts."

As Morgan added to Shiomi's answer, his gaze fell on Shiomi's face.

"So, does Koyanskaya want to devour Wufu because she knows he possesses the power of life and wants to seize that power for herself to maintain the inner structure of this world?" Morgan asked.

Taigong Wang nodded in affirmation: "After all, it is a power bestowed by the Goddess Nuwa, which many gods desire but cannot obtain. If one possesses this power, it is not impossible to create one's own world from scratch, especially now that the planet is a blank slate."

The alien god swept away human reason, and the planet, now a blank slate, is like a brand new stone tablet, waiting for someone to write a new inscription.

“Uh…” tide Jian was stunned for a moment.

"Let me ask you a question: After acquiring this power, has Lord Tianxi ever created any life?" Taigong Wang suddenly became very interested.

“There are only things like flowers, grass, and trees,” Shiomi said. “The first awakening of this power was because I tried to grow flowers in my master’s castle in the Land of Shadows.”

"And what else?" Jiang Ziya asked again.

Shiomi paused for a moment: "I don't think so... That time with Bawan Shi, it was just that the dying fairy was returned to its juvenile form in a more complete form, so that it could be qualified to grow."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt Morgan and his master quietly touching his waist and abdomen.

I have never created life, but I have done the act of creating life countless times and enjoy it.

Artoria, who also noticed the loophole in Shiomi's words, blushed slightly and looked away, pretending to survey the surroundings.

"If we exclude plants, has Lord Tianxi truly created life in any real sense?" Taigong Wang understood. "Is it because his powers are not yet mature?"

“No, it has nothing to do with whether the exercise of power is mature enough.” Shio shook her head. “It’s just because life is a unique existence, and I am just one of the more special ones among all living beings… If I were to develop the desire to become a creator, it would bring disaster to the people I love.”

“Hmm—” Taigong Wang murmured, “For Lord Tianxi to have such a personality, he must have a good master.”

Scáthach raised her chin, quite proudly: "You flatter me."

“And also because he has a good wife,” Morgan immediately retorted.

"……Well……"

Artoria wanted to say something, but found it difficult to describe.

After all, at that time she seemed more like a threat to force Shiomi to ascend to the throne of God.

Chapter Nineteen: NFF Headquarters

As they traversed the wilderness, heading towards the heart of this non-primate habitat, a striking change came into view.