Chapter 724: The True Hero
"Yaaa—"
Amidst agonized shrieks, the deep-blue-shelled magical beast was cleaved in two, its dark purple venomous blood gushing forth like a fountain. Behind its corpse, Anna—clad in a cat-eared hood and gripping her war scythe—landed gracefully.
"Beast registered as Mushussu, one of the eleven magical beasts birthed by the primordial goddess Tiamat—the Dragon of Babylon," the doctor's mini-encyclopedia chimed in promptly. "Fujimaru, collect the venomous stinger from its head. That's precious magecraft material."
"..." Fujimaru wordlessly stepped forward. As his Third Magic mystic code emitted a notification chime, he raised his dagger and began expertly dissecting the beast's remains, carefully storing away the glinting venomous stinger.
Then, dragging his exhausted footsteps, he pressed onward.
The forest brook flowed silently, reflecting the silhouettes of this peculiar party.
The Master from Chaldea—humanity's savior and Kamen Rider—Fujimaru Ritsuka.
The white-haired scoundrel sage who peeked from the Tower of Avalon via exploits—Merlin.
The mysterious cat-eared loli with a purple ponytail tied in a ribbon—Anna.
And anchoring this team—the interdimensional traveler handling combat, recuperation, supplies, and more—Sakatsuki.
Undoubtedly, this quartet had support, DPS, healing, tanking, and mobility—an absolutely perfect composition. Not to mention their countless hidden trump cards; if unleashed fully, even the mightiest entity in this Singularity would be utterly overwhelmed.
Yet this dream team had suffered an unexpected Waterloo the moment they entered the southern jungle.
"...I'm melting."
The magus' proud staff had been reduced to a mere walking stick as Merlin's white hair drooped limply, his tongue lolling from the heat. "The flies are everywhere, the terrain's awful, and the sun's scorching..."
"Shut up, Merlin."
Despite having slain the Dragon of Babylon, Anna felt no sense of refreshment—if anything, the strenuous activity combined with Merlin's whining only aggravated her irritation. "You're making the heat worse."
As the girl's cat ears twitched, her Slayer of the Undying (HARPE) gleamed ominously, its edge thirsting for Merlin's neck. The terrified mage forced a dry chuckle and raised his hands in surrender while enduring Anna's complaints.
"This heat is unbearable. I thought forests were supposed to be cool and tranquil..."
"Same here." Fujimaru wiped sweat from his brow before tilting his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing as he drained the last drops from his canteen. "Is this what Earth was like 65 million years ago before the asteroid hit...?"
"And the ether density is insane! Britain's nothing compared to this!" Merlin wailed. "Romani, are you even monitoring the mana concentration? This is practically a Reality Marble-level alternate world!"
"Ah... about that." Amidst the static-filled connection, the doctor sounded equally helpless. "I hate to say this, but the measuring device keeps malfunctioning..."
"It's just like when we were in Egyptian territory. This area is already in a completely different world—no, a different mythological system," said Da Vinci, the technical advisor of Chaldea. "Even with Sheba adjusted to match Uruk's perspective, there are limits to our observations. While heat sources can still be detected, the surrounding details remain indiscernible."
"So, does that mean we can only rely on our own abilities to sense danger now?"
Sakatsuki, who had been silently walking at the rear of the group, spoke up. Unlike the three others who looked mentally exhausted, he lifted his gaze leisurely, watching the dazzling sunlight hanging in the sky. "About five kilometers south is the city of Ur. Hang in there a little longer, everyone."
"Ehh—" The three groaned in unison. What would normally be an easy distance now felt unbearably long.
But the scorching heat of the rainforest wouldn't relent just because of their sighs. As noon approached, Anna was the first to reach her limit. She panted lightly, sweat streaming from beneath her hood, her steps growing erratic as her consciousness blurred.
Finally, with a soft thud, she collided with Sakatsuki behind her.
"Be careful, Anna," Sakatsuki said, swiftly catching her arm. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, sorry..." Anna trailed off, pausing as she looked up in surprise at Sakatsuki's hand holding hers.
Ssshh—
It was as if she could hear the sound of rapid cooling—like an overheated engine doused with water, or a desert traveler plunging into an oasis spring. A refreshing coolness spread from her wrist where the young man touched her, instantly dispelling the oppressive heat and leaving her feeling completely renewed.
"Oh?" Noticing Anna's expression, Sakatsuki smiled warmly. "You noticed, huh?"
Anna lifted her head just in time to see him extend his hand. "So, need some help? Miss Anna, who always seems so afraid of me?"
Yes, she should have been afraid... After all, he was the dangerous one who had nearly slain that goddess...
But... he was offering too much to refuse...
"W-well, then." Anna lowered her head, her cheeks faintly red, but she nodded honestly. "Please."
Amidst gasps of surprise, she was lifted into his arms. The stark difference in their sizes made her seem like a tiny doll, effortlessly cradled against his chest. Her face pressed against him, her hands flustered and unsure where to rest, eventually settling around his neck.
As their contact deepened, a soothing, refreshing aura enveloped her. Despite the blazing sun overhead, being near him felt like standing under a constant cool breeze—even under direct sunlight, she remained perfectly comfortable.
A—a princess carry?!
Anna squirmed slightly at first, unused to the position, but soon settled down, hiding beneath her hood. Only her flickering, bashful violet eyes peeked out.
This is so embarrassing... But it can't be helped. It's to conserve my strength for battle. Yes, that's all...
Still, it's so strange... How can a person have such an unusual trait?
"Ah, Anna, you're being sneaky."
A slightly complaining tease made the girl stiffen. Without her noticing, Fujimaru had already arrived by Sakatsuki's side. Just by shaking his hand, she understood the current situation: "And Sakatsuki, having such a useful ability yet not telling me is really too much, don't you think?"
"Sorry," Sakatsuki replied with his usual cheerful smile. "But you never asked, Fujimaru."
"You're as bad as ever, you jerk." Fujimaru rolled her eyes and unceremoniously stretched out both hands. "Carry me. I'm tired."
"Ahem, what?" Sakatsuki blinked in surprise as he looked at the boy.
Was he hearing this right? Had Fujimaru taken Ritsuka's script?
In the past, this boy would never have actively asked others for help, even if he was panting from exhaustion. During the long, solitary battles of his journey, he had long since cultivated an unyielding resilience that refused to rely on anyone.
So, what had made him lower his guard?
"It's Mother..."
"It's Tiamat, isn't it..."
The two voices reached the same conclusion simultaneously. To an outsider, Sakatsuki merely paused briefly before readily agreeing: "Of course. My back is yours."
"Hey, what about me?!" The white-haired trash mage ahead protested. "I'm the one wearing the most layers here! If I get heatstroke, you'll lose the help of the greatest magi, you know!"
"Sakatsuki, leave him here as monster bait," came the doctor's cold, merciless voice from the wrist communicator. "It's better to get rid of trash like him early—the kind that only harms human society."
"I agree," chimed in the unscrupulous merchant Da Vinci. "My suggestion is to tie up this noisy guy and use him as bait. That way, we won't have to worry about monster ambushes."
"Hey, you two, that's too much—"
Merlin's indignant protest fell on deaf ears as no one paid attention to this man whose moral standards were inversely proportional to his magical prowess. As the murderous heat finally eased, Fujimaru could finally calm down and organize the objectives of this journey.
The long-silent city of Ur, the frequent disappearances of investigation teams, and even the Axe of Marduk—an artifact Gilgamesh himself referred to as divine.
"By the way, Sakatsuki, do you know why the King is searching for the Axe of Marduk?"
Having studied up on the subject beforehand, Fujimaru naturally knew the legends surrounding the name Marduk—the primordial Mother Goddess Tiamat had been vanquished by this deity and the new generation of gods he led.
In other words, from a magical perspective, a divine axe bearing Marduk's true name would completely counter all mysteries related to the primordial Mother Goddess Tiamat.
But why would King Gilgamesh want to find this divine weapon? Could it be that among the [Three Goddess Alliance] opposing Uruk, there was a deity connected to Tiamat?
The moment Fujimaru voiced this question, he sensed a change in Sakatsuki. The young man's back stiffened briefly before relaxing, followed by a quiet sigh as he spoke:
"The Axe of Marduk isn't meant to deal with enemies. Its purpose is to unleash Uruk's combat potential."
"Hey, Last Knight..." Merlin looked at Sakatsuki, hesitating to speak, but the young man simply shook his head faintly and chuckled, "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure he wouldn't mind either."
Then, he told Fujimaru this:
"In Uruk, there's still a hero hidden away."
"A hero?" Fujimaru mulled over the description, finding it hard to believe.
What kind of person could someone as proud as Sakatsuki also call a hero?
"Yes, a hero." The young man turned his head slightly, meeting Fujimaru's gaze, his eyes shimmering with an emerald glow:
"A true hero who is stronger than me and more worthy of being a Guardian."
The rustling of the forest concealed Sakatsuki's meaningful whisper.
As if an orange shadow flickered through the dense woods, it sprang up eagerly upon hearing the voices of conversation, rushing toward the source with excitement. The moment it caught sight of the figures, it charged forward with incredible speed and fiery enthusiasm, greeting everyone:
"Buenas noches! Senorita! Senor Senor, care for some peyote?"